Strike Three
A recent Smart Politics report highlighted various U.S. House districts in which voters will have the choice of only one major party candidate on the 2016 general election ballot. Since redistricting and reapportionment in 2012, there have been six districts across the country to feature only one major party nominee in all three cycles. Democrats have failed to run a candidate in Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District for three straight general elections while Republicans have been without a candidate since 2012 in Massachusetts’ 1st, 2nd, and 7th CDs as well as California’s 40th and 44th CDs. Massachusetts Democrat Mike Capuano has not been challenged by a GOPer in nine consecutive cycles since 2000 in the 7th and (previously) 8th CDs. Fellow delegation member Richard Neal has not faced a Republican opponent in nine of the last 10 cycles dating back to 1998 from the 1st and (previously) 2nd CDs.
CA: Since the adoption of “top two” for the 2012 cycle onwards, the Rs – or any other party – (by definition) have not (officially) nominated candidates for the general election (e.g. Neither US Representative H Berman nor his more junior colleague B Sherman was THE nominee for his party in 2012/CD30 – though Howard was the de facto nominee of both CA Ds and even national Rs in his career-ending contest).