Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Two Dakotas, One Voice?
For each of the last 24 presidential elections since 1920, North and South Dakota have voted in unison – casting their ballots for the same nominee. For 21 of these cycles (including each of the last 12 since 1968) Republicans…
Read More73 Months and Counting
January’s preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show Minnesota’s unemployment rate of 3.7 percent was once again lower than Wisconsin’s 5.0 percent. That marks the 73rd consecutive month in which Minnesota has boasted a lower jobless rate than its neighbor…
Read MoreAaron Schock 1st of 234 Illinois GOP US Representatives to Resign in Scandal
Only four of the 470 Illinois U.S. House members in history have resigned under a cloud of scandal – three in the last 20 years.
Read MoreSt. Patrick’s Day Special: 129 Irish-Born Members of Congress
Nearly 130 U.S. Senators, Representatives, and Territorial Delegates were born in Ireland – with 40 percent serving New York and Pennsylvania.
Read MorePatrick Murphy and a Brief History of US Senate Bids by Florida US Reps
Sitting or ex- Florida U.S. Representatives have won U.S. Senate seats in just two of 17 attempts since 1970.
Read MoreWill Maryland’s 2016 Democratic US Senate Primary Be a Race for the Ages?
A look at Maryland’s 35 previous Democratic U.S. Senate primaries by the numbers suggests Edwards and Van Hollen candidacies are unlikely to deter other 2016 hopefuls.
Read More3 Retiring US Representatives Still Soliciting Campaign Contributions
Chris Gibson announced his retirement more than two months ago, has hundreds of thousands of dollars in his campaign coffers, but his campaign website still asks for donations.
Read MoreMaryland US Representatives Eye Mikulski’s Senate Seat
Maryland U.S. Senators have paid their dues in the lower chamber at the fifth highest rate in the nation; a former U.S. Representative has held Mikulski’s seat for 107 of the last 130 years.
Read MoreJoe Sestak and Retread Pennsylvania US Senate Candidates By the Numbers
Only two failed U.S. Senate nominees from the Keystone State have sought a return to the chamber prior to Sestak – neither were victorious.
Read MoreWill Dan Coats Retire from the US Senate (Again)?
None of the eight Indiana U.S. Senators who served longer than Coats left the chamber on their own terms.
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