Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
The Green Party: A Short Half-Life in Minnesota Politics
In our continuing study of the decline of third parties in the state of Minnesota, today Smart Politics examines the weakening of the state’s Green Party. Like the Independence Party, the Green Party experienced a significant downturn in public…
Read MoreThe Decline of the Independence Party
The Independence Party of Minnesota has experienced a noticeable decline in support across Minnesota – as evidenced in its performance last month. This decline is revealed across a number of dimensions and offices, including a decreased ability to field candidates…
Read MoreUpper Midwest Leads the Nation in 2006 Voter Turnout
The Upper Midwest continued to set the pace for election turnout in this year’s mid-term elections. While preliminary, unofficial numbers are only available in some states, it appears the Upper Midwest has locked down 3 of the top 6 slots…
Read MorePresence and Impact of Third Party Candidates in MN House Races Declining
For a number of years State House races in Minnesota were peppered with a significant number of third party or independent candidates. In 2006, however, the presence of these non-major party candidates was the lowest in a decade. In 1998…
Read MoreMinnesota State Legislative Recount Update
Nearly one in five state house races in Minnesota (22 of 134, 16%) were decided by five percentage points or less in the 2006 Election. On November 21st, Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer ordered recounts in three of the…
Read MoreWisconsin State Legislative Recount Summary
November’s state legislative races yielded a number of very close contests across the Upper Midwest. As a result recounts have commenced in a handful of districts, including four races for Wisconsin’s State Assembly where Democrats narrowed a 58-39 GOP advantage…
Read MoreA Tale of (Two?) States: Demographic Support for Republican Gubernatorial Candidates in MN and WI Strikingly Similar
The 2006 gubernatorial races in Minnesota and Wisconsin had key similarities: 1-term incumbents defending their seats with job approval rankings hovering around 50%. Pundits viewed seats in both states to be very vulnerable. Despite these similarities, the candidacies of Republican…
Read MoreGubernatorial Approval Ratings Rise Noticeably After Elections
Approval ratings for all four Upper Midwest governors rose noticeably in polls conducted by SurveyUSA directly after Election Day (November 8-11). All three incumbent governors on the ballot in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota were victorious, and the Democrats retained…
Read MoreMinnesota State Senate Election Analysis: DFL Thoroughly Dominates Republicans
The DFL expanded its lead in the Minnesota State Senate from 38-29 to 44-23, after picking up eight seats and giving back two in this month’s election. The DFL has now not only nearly doubled the number of GOP seats…
Read MoreMany Familiar Faces To Depart Capitol Hill After ’06 Election
The anti-GOP wave that struck D.C. two weeks ago resulted in 22 Republican U.S. House incumbents being given their 2-month notice. This turnover, while quite high by historical standards, is perhaps not as remarkable as the fact that most of…
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