Political Crumbs

A record 23 women were nominated by major parties to the U.S. Senate in 2018, although it may be a challenge to see that number equaled or increased in 2020. There were 13 incumbent women on the ballot last cycle compared to just seven that are up for reelection next year: Martha McSally (AZ), Joni…

It is expected that term-limited Montana Governor Steve Bullock will announce his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination later this month. That will give Montana its first presidential candidate in nearly 70 years. The last Treasure State political figure to be considered for the White House was Democratic U.S. Senator James Murray in 1952. Murray…

The long-shot presidential candidacy of former West Virginia Democratic state Senator Richard Ojeda ended last week. Brief as it was – lasting just 76 days – Ojeda’s White House bid was not the shortest in the modern primary era. Since 1972, three other non-fringe major party presidential hopefuls had shorter stays on the campaign trail.…

The 116th Congress will convene 13 U.S. Senators who were most recently elected to the chamber with a plurality of the vote (seven Democrats and six Republicans) – dropping from 15 such lawmakers ending the 115th Congress. That marks the sixth consecutive congress with 10 or more senators who did not win the support of…

When Tony Evers unseated Scott Walker in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial election last week, it set up just the fifth time in state history in which a Democratic governor will be in office when new legislative district lines are drawn following the decennial U.S. Census. Prior to Evers, Republicans sat in the governor’s office each of the…

In last week’s midterm elections, Democrats continued to run up the score in U.S. House races across multiple Northeastern states. A sweep of Massachusetts’ nine congressional districts increased the Democratic winning streak to 119 in a row in the Bay State dating back to 1996. Democrats also swept through Connecticut for the sixth consecutive cycle,…

For just the third time in more than 650 general and special elections, voters in an Iowa U.S. House race will have six choices on the general election ballot. The state’s 3rd CD finds Republican David Young challenged by Democratic businesswoman Cynthia Axne plus Libertarian Bryan Holder, Green nominee Paul Knupp, independent Joe Grandanette, and…

Over the last 105 years, only one state has never elected a Republican U.S. Senator while a fellow GOPer served in the White House – Arkansas. The Natural State has voted for a Democratic nominee in all 17 opportunities to date, and will get its next chance to break that streak in 2020 when Republican…

For the first time in party history, only one Alaska Democrat appeared on the gubernatorial primary ballot. Despite a late entrance into the 2018 race, former U.S. Senator Mark Begich ran unopposed for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination while seven Republicans – second most in party history (1986, nine) – duked it out for the GOP…

For the first time since 1914, both Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries in Minnesota were decided by less than 10 points. On Tuesday, DFL Congressman Tim Walz defeated state Representative Erin Murphy by 9.6 points while Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson beat former Governor Tim Pawlenty by 8.7 points on the Republican side. Prior to…