U.S. Senate
Minnesota Delegation Has 2nd Lowest Collective Seniority Ranking in U.S. Senate
The soon-to-be seated DFL U.S. Senator Al Franken will now be able to assist Senior Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar with the state’s constituency caseload, but will not enhance the state’s collective seniority ranking in Capitol Hill’s upper chamber. Minnesota has…
Read MorePutting a Bow on the 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate Contest (A Historical Analysis)
With Governor Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie signing the election certificate for the U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday evening, the 2008 Election is, after a 238-day wait, at last in the books. The 2008 U.S. Senate Election…
Read MoreNorm Coleman Ends 2008 Election Legal Fight
Speaking outside his house in St. Paul on Tuesday afternoon, former Republican Senator Norm Coleman congratulated DFLer Al Franken as the new Senator from the Gopher State. Earlier this afternoon the Minnesota Supreme Court decided Franken was “entitled” to a…
Read MoreMinnesota U.S. Senate Race Still Fodder for Late-Night Comedians
Now seven and a half months out from Election Day, the U.S. Senate contest between DFLer Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman is still providing a few yucks on late-night television. In recent weeks, Bill Maher has been a virtual…
Read MoreHow Many Senators Will Vote for the Next Supreme Court Nominee?
With the recent announcement by Associate Justice David Souter that he intends to retire from the Supreme Court this year, all eyes are on President Barack Obama to see who he will send up to the U.S. Senate for confirmation…
Read MoreThe Secret to Klobuchar’s Popularity: Enduring Republican Support
The latest round of SurveyUSA monthly polling data again shows Minnesota DFL U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar holding on to her statewide support more than any of the 25 Senators tracked by the polling organization. With a 62 percent approval rating,…
Read MoreWill Arlen Specter Win in 2010?
When Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Arlen Specter switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party on Tuesday morning, the first question asked was not why he bolted from the GOP, but how his change in party affiliation will impact the Democratic…
Read MoreMinnesota 2nd Most Competitive State for U.S. Senate Elections Since 1990
With the three-judge panel ruling on Monday that Al Franken received more legally cast votes than Norm Coleman, the Minnesota 2008 U.S. Senate race moved one step closer to a final resolution. Coleman has stated he will file an appeal…
Read MoreCharles Grassley: Folksiness with an Edge
At 75 years old, the longest elected U.S. Senator in Iowa history, the 11th most senior member of the U.S. Senate, and having cast more than 10,000 votes in Capitol Hill’s upper chamber, Republican Senator Charles Grassley is just…
Read MoreAmy Klobuchar: Steady as She Goes
The latest U.S. Senate approval numbers released by SurveyUSA for the month of March find Minnesota DFLer Amy Klobuchar with the 4th highest rating of the 27 Senators tracked by the polling organization. But that’s not the headline. What…
Read More