Political Crumbs

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…

California Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s announcement that she will seek a sixth term in 2018 puts the lawmaker on track to become the oldest female U.S. Senator in history. Feinstein – at 84 years, 3 months, 20 days – is already the second oldest woman to serve in the chamber behind Georgia Democrat Rebecca Felton who…

Democrat Ralph Northam has held a fairly consistent lead over Republican Ed Gillespie in polling of Virginia’s 2017 gubernatorial race since the early summer, but few surveys have shown that the sitting lieutenant governor has persuaded a majority of voters over to his side. Libertarian nominee and Mechanicsville attorney Cliff Hyra may not draw as…

Niki Tsongas’ announcement that she would not seek a seventh term in the U.S. House means the Massachusetts Democrat will end her career with 11 years, 2 months, and 19 days in the chamber. That is good for third place among the five female U.S. Representatives that have been elected to the House from the…