Archive for November 2008
MN Senate Election Analysis, Part 1: Franken Underperforms in Northern Minnesota
On the surface, there are several similarities between the 2008 U.S. Senate race and the 2006 gubernatorial race in Minnesota. · Both races featured 1-term Republican incumbents facing reelection in Democratic wave election years and, pending a change of fate…
Read MoreIowa Democrats Enjoying Historic Run in House of Representatives
For the first time in modern Hawkeye State political history, Iowa Democrats have made gains in the State House of Representatives in four consecutive elections. Smart Politics examined Iowa election returns for more than fifty years dating back to the…
Read MoreDemocratic Control in Wisconsin At Greatest Level in a Generation
With its takeover of the State Assembly last week, Democrats now control both legislative chambers and the governor’s office in the Badger State for the first time since the 1984 election. Wisconsin Democrats were able to accomplish in 2008 what…
Read MoreEven At 42 Percent, Coleman’s Performance Historically Strong
Should Republican Norm Coleman prevail in the U.S. Senate recount against DFLer Al Franken over the coming weeks, his reelection will be noteworthy in several respects. First, at 42.0 percent, Coleman will have been elected by the lowest percentage in…
Read MoreWill Pawlenty Run For A Third Term?
After flirting with national office in 2008 – as a purported finalist on John McCain’s short list of Vice-Presidential nominees – Tim Pawlenty has the luxury of governing a state in which gubernatorial elections are conducted in presidential off-year…
Read MoreInside Obama’s Landslide: The Young Man Went West
Barack Obama’s near landslide victory over John McCain last week was impressive on a number of dimensions. Most obviously, Obama picked up 9 states that went Republican in the 2004 election: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada,…
Read MoreHow Will the National Media Cover the Franken vs. Coleman Recount?
As the headline of Barack Obama’s historic victory begins to fade and political reporters and analysts need to turn their attention elsewhere, it is likely the recount in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race will satisfy their cravings and subsequently garner even…
Read MoreGreen Party Sets Personal Best in Minnesota’s HD 61B Contest
In Minnesota’s House District 61B election on Tuesday, Green Party candidate Farheen Hakeem received 30.3 percent of the vote – the highest mark ever reached by the Green Party in a House contest. The Green Party has run 29…
Read MoreThird Party Impact on the 2008 Minnesota Legislative Vote
Third party candidates in the Gopher State made a slight comeback in 2008, and had some impact on Minnesota legislative races on Tuesday. Two races were decidedly impacted by third party candidacies. In the open DFL House District 51A, Republican…
Read MoreIndependence Party Sets New Records in Election 2008
Although the number of candidates the Independence Party of Minnesota has been able to field in state legislative elections has fallen sharply during the past few election cycles, the Party enjoyed some personal bests in the 2008 elections. At the…
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