Yes, it’s time for another of my “dangerous dozen open House seats” columns, which I have been writing since shortly after the establishment of the Jamestown Settlement (or so it seems).
This cycle’s version has a plethora of seats to choose from, given the 38 Republican and 19 Democratic seats…
Senate. Sherrod Brown (D) elected 2006 (56%), 2012 (51%). Rep. Jim Renacci won the GOP nomination in the least suspenseful Senate primary of the night, defeating investment banker Mike Gibbons 47-32 percent. Renacci was also the only GOP congressman to be victorious in a Senate primary last night, as West…
Senate. Joe Manchin (D) elected 2010 special (53%), 2012 (61%). Former coal company CEO Don Blankenship, who served a year in prison, enjoyed a few days in the national spotlight as a serious contender for the GOP nomination. But state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey prevailed with 35 percent over Rep.…
2nd District (George Holding, R, re-elected 57%). Trump 53%. Former state personnel director/former state Rep. Linda Coleman won the Democratic nomination over tech entrepreneur Ken Romley and will face the incumbent Republican in the general election. The race has been included in the broadest discussion of competitive seats, but Coleman’s…
It’s dangerous to extrapolate too much from any single special election, but the trend is clear across nearly all of the special elections over the past year: Democrats are over-performing and Republicans are struggling to hold open seats.
Democrats’ over-performance hasn’t been limited by geography, considering Democrats have done better…
New Mexico’s 1st District — Rating: Solid Democratic
Interview Date: April 17, 2018
Date of Birth: Dec. 2, 1960; Winslow, Ariz.
Education: Univ. of New Mexico (1994, law school 2006)
Elected Office: None; 2014 nominee for lieutenant governor
Current Outlook: Haaland is a top contender for Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Albuquerque-based…
Nevada’s 4th District — Rating: Likely Democratic
Interview Date: March 13, 2018
Date of Birth: June 23, 1957; Mesquite, Nev.
Education: Dixie State Univ.
Elected Office: U.S. House (former, 2011-12); state Assembly (former); Mesquite city council (former)
Current Outlook: Even though Hardy is a former Member of Congress, he’s an…
Minnesota’s 3rd District — Rating: Lean Republican
Interview Date: April 27, 2018
Date of Birth: Jan. 20, 1969; St. Paul, Minn.
Education: Brown Univ. (1991); Univ. of Minnesota business school (2000)
Elected Office: None; First run for office
Current Outlook: Rep. Erik Paulsen is one of the most vulnerable Republicans…
Nevada’s 3rd District — Rating: Tilt Democratic
Interview Date: March 15, 2018
Date of Birth: Nov. 7, 1966; Canton, Ohio
Education: Carnegie Mellon Univ. (1989 undergrad, 1990 Master’s)
Elected Office: None; 4th District candidate (2016)
Current Outlook: In 2016, Lee finished third in the Democratic primary in the 4th District,…
Florida’s 26th District — Rating: Tilt Republican
Interview Date: March 14, 2018
Date of Birth: Jan. 18, 1971; Ecuador
Education: Pitzer College (1992), Claremont McKenna Graduate University (1996)
Elected Office: None; 2016 nominee for state senate
Current Outlook: Mucarsel-Powell lost a state senate election and now she’s taking on one…
