Political Crumbs

For the first time since 1990, Minnesota voters will have just two choices on the ballot in a state constitutional office election. In fact, two contests – those for Secretary of State and Attorney General – have only DFL and GOP nominees this November. The most recent cycle to feature two candidates on the ballot…

Wisconsin’s highly-watched GOP gubernatorial primary last week resulted in the closest race for the Republican nomination and first plurality winner in more than 75 years in the state. Tim Michels defeated Rebecca Kleefisch by 3.9 points with 47.0 percent of the vote – the tightest contest since Governor Walter Goodland edged former state adjutant-general Ralph…

On this day four years ago, Maryland Democratic U.S. Representative John Delaney was already 205 days deep into his 2020 presidential campaign – by far the earliest campaign launch by a bona fide major party candidate during the primary era. Delaney announced his campaign on July 28, 2017 – some 1,194 days prior to the…

New York Democrats’ gerrymander of its forthcoming 26 congressional districts puts the party in a strong position to carry 22 of them this November, or 84.6 percent. If executed at the ballot box, that would give New York its second-largest Democratic U.S. House delegation in state history following the election of 2008 when Democrats won…

Wisconsin businessman Kevin Nicholson’s entrance into the Republican gubernatorial nomination race against former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch raises the prospect of the GOP holding its first competitive primary election for the office in more than 75 years. The last GOP primary to be decided by single digits was in 1946 when two-term incumbent Walter Goodland…

Three prominent Minnesota politicians running for reelection took part in Twin Cities Marathon day events last Sunday. Governor Tim Walz toed the line first in the 10-mile race from downtown Minneapolis to the Capitol. The 57-year old DFLer finished the hilly course in 1:32:38, averaging 9:16 per mile. Forty-year old Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a…

After gaining a seat from reapportionment, Montana’s U.S. House delegation could be represented by two Republicans after the 2022 cycle for just the second time in state history and the first time in more than a century. Across the previous 80-year stretch during which the state held two U.S. House seats (1913-1993), the GOP controlled…

Of the more than 40 states that have an elected office of Lieutenant Governor, Maryland is one of a handful that has never elected a sitting or ex-LG to the office of Governor. The state’s former Republican LG Michael Steele (2003-2007) is considering a run for governor in 2022. Democratic predecessors Blair Lee III (lost…

When Democrats won just three of 11 gubernatorial elections (27.3 percent) during the 2020 cycle (in Delaware, North Carolina, Washington) it marked the worst showing for the party in races for the office in presidential or midterm election cycles since 1920. In 1920, Democratic nominees won only six of 35 races (17.1 percent) – in…

Tina Smith’s reelection victory with 48.7 percent marked a nation-leading 12th time that Minnesotans elected a U.S. Senator with a plurality of the vote in the direct election era. Smith also became the fourth plurality-winning U.S. Senate nominee in Minnesota in the 21st Century following Mark Dayton in 2000 (48.8 percent), Norm Coleman in 2002…