Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Tim Kaine: Another Minnesota Export?
Two Minnesota-born U.S. Senators have been elected to seats outside of the Gopher State over the last two cycles.
Read MoreHome State Heroes
Of the 12 newly-elected U.S. Senators to take their seats in the 113th Congress, just four were born in the state they will represent: Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona, Republican Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Democrat Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota,…
Read MoreSenator Tim Scott? Sitting Congressmen Rarely Appointed from South Carolina
Only one sitting U.S. House member has been appointed out of 15 appointments to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina; only four of these appointed senators were subsequently elected to the chamber
Read MoreDeMint Resignation in History: 1 in 3 South Carolina US Senators Resigned
DeMint will join the likes of Charles Pinckney, Thomas Sumpter, John Calhoun, and Strom Thurmond – former South Carolina U.S. Senators who resigned from the highest legislative office in the land.
Read MoreWomen Reelected to US Senate at Same Rate as Men
A study of more than 325 sitting U.S. Senators on the ballot since 1990 finds women have been reelected at exactly same rate as men – 87 percent.
Read MoreRecord Book Near Misses in the 2012 Presidential Election
The Romney-Obama contest ranked among the Top 5 most competitive races ever in three states (AK, FL, NC) and the Top 5 least competitive in six (HI, MD, OK, UT, WV, WY).
Read MoreStudy: Governors Have No Pull Helping Presidential Nominees Carry Their State
States have voted more frequently for a presidential nominee of a different party than its sitting governor across 600 contests since 1968; even more so in battleground states.
Read MoreRounds Seeks 1st US Senate Win for ex-South Dakota Governor
No former governor has ever won a U.S. Senate seat in South Dakota, with the last sitting governor to do so 70 years ago.
Read MoreOhio: The Nation’s Battleground Since 1828
Ohio has been the most politically divided state in the country in presidential elections for the last 184 years – boasting the lowest average victory margin and the largest number and percentage of races decided by less than five points.
Read MoreLongshots At-Large
In addition to facing an electorate prone to split-ticket voting, Montana Republican U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg faced another historical hurdle in his attempt to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Tester earlier this month. With Rehberg’s loss, just 3 of 18…
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