Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Gubernatorial Highs and Lows
Two sitting governors currently hold the record for the highest gubernatorial vote ever received in their respective states by a non-incumbent: Republican Matt Mead of Wyoming (65.7 percent in 2010) and outgoing GOPer Dave Heineman of Nebraska (73.4 percent in…
Read MoreCould Paul LePage Become the First 30/30 Governor in History?
No popularly elected governor has ever been victorious with less than 40 percent of the vote in back-to-back elections.
Read MoreStrange Bedfellows: A Historical Review of Divided US Senate Delegations
Over the last century, states have been twice as likely to be represented by a single political party in the U.S. Senate than have a split delegation; only Delaware, Iowa, and Illinois have been divided more than half the time.
Read MoreWill Wisconsin’s Tight Gubernatorial Race Impact Its US House Contests?
A study of 55 election cycles finds evidence that Badger State congressional races are more competitive when gubernatorial elections are close.
Read MoreBlowout: More Than 1 in 6 US House Races Have Just One Major Party Nominee
Regional differences are stark: major parties were unable to recruit candidates in 27 percent of Southern contests compared to just one percent in the Midwest.
Read MoreCan Dayton, Franken Both Win By Double-Digits in 2014?
The DFL/Democratic parties have won Minnesota gubernatorial and U.S. Senate contests in the same cycle in just three out of 25 elections and never by double-digits in both.
Read MoreAre Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla Libertarians?
The HLN host is fed up with the ‘tyranny’ of governmental overreach while Carolla goes on the record that he is a libertarian.
Read MoreNo Free Passes: States With 2 Major Party Candidates in Every US House Race
Indiana has now placed candidates from both major parties on the ballot in a nation-best 189 consecutive U.S. House races, with New Hampshire, Minnesota, Idaho, and Montana also north of 100 in a row.
Read MoreRise of the Independents? Greg Orman Victory Would Make Senate History
No more than two independents have served in the chamber at the same time; the last time three non-major party officeholders served in the U.S. Senate was 1940.
Read MoreCan Iowa’s Split US Senate Delegation Tradition Save Bruce Braley?
The Hawkeye State has the second highest rate in the nation over the last 100 years of sending members from two different parties to the nation’s upper legislative chamber.
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