Political Crumbs

Two records that are likely never to be broken in the annals of Nebraska electoral history are the nine appearances on a major party gubernatorial primary ballot – and seven nominations won – by Democrat Charles Bryan spanning the 1910s to the 1940s. The Lincoln mayor lost his first two nomination attempts in 1916 and…

Charlie Dent’s decision to resign prior to the end of this term means Pennsylvania will host a second special U.S. House election during the 115th Congress – on November 6th if not before. This will be the first time more than one special election to the chamber has been held in Pennsylvania during one cycle…

If Democratic attorney Conor Lamb upsets State Representative Rick Saccone in next Tuesday’s special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, it will mark just the second time a seat has flipped across 29 specials held in the Keystone State since 1951. Over the last 67 years, Democrat John Murtha’s February 1974 0.2-point win against Harry…

Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir’s campaign to win the 2018 GOP U.S. Senate nomination and challenge incumbent Tammy Baldwin seems to be gaining traction against businessman Kevin Nicholson (as businessman and 2012 candidate Eric Hovde waits in the wings to potentially complicate the race). If Vukmir is successful, she will become just the second woman…

Utah U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch announced on Tuesday that he would not stand for election to an 8th term in 2018. Hatch is one of 17 members of the chamber to serve into their seventh term and the fifth to retire, joining Arizona Democrat Carl Hayden (1968), Louisiana Democrat Russell Long (1986), Mississippi Democrat John…

On Wednesday, Democrats Doug Jones of Alabama and Tina Smith of Minnesota will be seated in the U.S. Senate. This marks the first time in U.S. history that two members of the chamber will be seated at the exact midway point of a particular Congress (March 4th of an even-numbered year through the 72nd Congress…

When Alabama Democrat Doug Jones is sworn into the U.S. Senate in the coming days he will become the 14th sitting member who won his or her first election to the chamber via special election. Jones will join California Democrat Dianne Feinstein (1992), Oklahoma Republicans James Inhofe (1994) and James Lankford (2014), Oregon Democrat Ron…

Alabama Democrat Doug Jones will be the ninth ‘Jones’ sworn into the U.S. Senate and the first to serve in the chamber in 85+ years. The last Jones in the U.S. Senate was Washington Republican Wesley Jones who served from 1909 until his death in 1932. The remaining Joneses are Georgia Jeffersonian Republican George Jones…

Republican-turned-independent John Anderson – who passed away on December 3rd at the age of 95 – was born and raised in Illinois, but the 10-term U.S. Representative by far had his best showing in the 1980 presidential election in the Northeast. Anderson’s Top 5 best showings all came from that region, garnering the support of…

Smart Politics recently examined how the Republican Party is hoping to win back-to-back U.S. Senate elections in Florida and Montana for the first time in the direct election era this cycle following Marco Rubio’s win last November and Steve Daines’ 2014 victory in the Treasure State. The GOP also has a chance to win two…