Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Bob Smith and the 12-Year Itch
With a successful challenge of Jeanne Shaheen in 2014, Smith would tie Dan Coats’ modern mark for the longest gap in U.S. Senate service in the direct election era.
Read MoreBuyer’s Remorse? Franken Loss Would Make History in Minnesota
Minnesotans have never flipped a U.S. Senate seat in back-to-back-to-back elections.
Read MoreCan Pennsylvania Democrats Pick Up Any US House Seats with Corbett Loss?
If Pennsylvania Democrats win the governor’s mansion without netting two U.S. House seats, the party will set a record for shortest gubernatorial coattails in congressional races in state history.
Read MoreReturn of the King: Charlie Crist and Ex-Governor Comebacks
More than half of ex-governors have been victorious in general election bids to return to their old seats since 1945.
Read MoreDéjà Vu: Wisconsin’s 2014 US House Elections
Wisconsin has elected the same U.S. House delegation in back-to-back cycles just 12 times since statehood in 1848 but is likely to do so next November.
Read MoreMarty Seifert’s Political Hiatus: Not a Problem
A new study suggests Seifert’s three years out of government should not decrease his chances of winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
Read More1 in 5 Democratic US Reps Entered House via Special Election
Nearly 20 percent of the Democratic caucus in office today was first elected via special election compared to just 1 in 10 Republicans.
Read MorePlurality Blues: Governors on the Hot Seat
Since 1900, less than half of plurality-winning governors who were eligible for another term were reelected to their seat in the next cycle.
Read MoreTim Pawlenty: The Forgotten Man?
During Jeopardy’s Teacher’s Tournament, three educators could not name the capital city from where Tim Pawlenty governed for eight years.
Read MoreAgeless Pressler Eyes Historical Rarity in South Dakota
If elected in 2014, the former U.S. Senator would lay claim to both the youngest and oldest candidate ever elected to the chamber from South Dakota.
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