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GOP U.S. House Incumbents Six Times More Likely to Run Get-Tough on Illegal Immigration Campaigns than Democrats

By Eric Ostermeier on July 28, 2010
Half of Republican incumbents are highlighting get-tough anti-illegal immigration policy solutions on campaign websites compared to just 8 percent of Democrats

Republican Party Poised to Win Most Gubernatorial Seats in 90 Years

By Eric Ostermeier on July 5, 2010
Republicans on pace to eclipse the 24 seats won in 1928, 1966, and the Republican Revolution of 1994

The Great Divide: Birth States of U.S. Supreme Court Justices

By Eric Ostermeier on July 1, 2010
Only 11 of 111 justices have been born in the 24 states west of the Mississippi River; just 25 percent over the last 50 years

Should Kagan's Partisan Past and Policy Work Derail Her Confirmation?

By Eric Ostermeier on June 29, 2010
Over half of Supreme Court Justices throughout history have served in or sought partisan legislative or executive offices

Which States Have the Most Living Ex-Governors?

By Eric Ostermeier on June 14, 2010
250 ex-governors are still living in the United States; New Jersey has five times more living former governors (10) than Connecticut and Wyoming (2)

Remembering the Historic Gubernatorial Class of 2002

By Eric Ostermeier on May 20, 2010
25 candidates were elected governor for the first time in 2002, the largest number since WWII; record could be eclipsed in 2010

Unfamiliar Faces: 2010 Likely to Set Mark for Fewest U.S. House Incumbents on the Ballot this Decade

By Eric Ostermeier on May 16, 2010
Seats without incumbents on the ballot are 56 percent more likely to be Republican than Democratic since 2002

History Suggests Kagan Confirmation Process Will Be Rockier than Sotomayor's

By Eric Ostermeier on May 12, 2010
Presidents since Woodrow Wilson have faced increased Senatorial opposition in attempts to get their second Supreme Court Justice seated; only 1 such nominee out of 13 received greater support from Senate

How Competitive Are U.S. House Special Elections?

By Eric Ostermeier on May 11, 2010
Special elections are 17.4 points more competitive than general election contests; special election seats are also 4 times more likely to switch parties

Can Pawlenty Launch a Sam's Club Presidential Campaign from a Target State?

By Eric Ostermeier on May 3, 2010
Minnesota ranks #33 in the nation in Sam's Club & Wal-Mart stores per capita, and ranks #1 for Target

Reapportionment Winners and Losers Through the Years

By Eric Ostermeier on April 28, 2010
Pennsylvania (-17 seats) and New York (-16 seats) have lost the largest number of seats from their peak U.S. House delegations; the Keystone State is slated to lose a seat again for a 9th consecutive census period

Has Gerrymandering Lost Its Punch?

By Eric Ostermeier on April 23, 2010
Current redistricting period has produced the closest relationship between votes received and seats won by party across the nation's 435 U.S. House districts since the 1940s

Still thinking about running for the U.S. Senate? You're Too Late

By Eric Ostermeier on April 22, 2010
No non-incumbent has won a U.S. Senate seat by announcing their candidacy this late in the election cycle; the average length of successful U.S. Senate campaigns since 2000 has been 447 days

Is the Democratic Party 'Overrepresented' in the U.S. House?

By Eric Ostermeier on April 20, 2010
Democratic candidates have won 772 more U.S. House seats since 1942 than their cumulative 'proportional vote share,' or 23 seats per election cycle; +27 seats in 2008

How Do Members of Congress Use the American Flag in Their Reelection Campaigns?

By Eric Ostermeier on April 12, 2010
Republican U.S. Representatives are 36 percent more likely to incorporate the American flag on campaign websites than Democrats

Which States Have the Most Proportional Female Representation in Congress?

By Eric Ostermeier on April 9, 2010
Women are still proportionally underrepresented in 48 states, with 19 states and 22 percent of the nation's population without a female U.S. Senator or Representative

Barack Obama Sightings in D.C.: The Where and the When

By Eric Ostermeier on April 2, 2010
Obama delivers most remarks while in D.C. from the White House's East Room; the plurality of the President's statements begin at the 11 o'clock hour

The Vanishing President? Obama Public Appearances Down 30 Percent in 2010

By Eric Ostermeier on March 25, 2010
Study of more than 600 verbal statements finds the President's appearances have dropped from 45 per month in 2009 to 32 in 2010

Is Bart Stupak's U.S. House Seat Vulnerable?

By Eric Ostermeier on March 24, 2010
Nine-term Democrat has won by more than 32 points in each of the last four election cycles

Fun Facts about House Democrats Voting 'No' on the Health Care Bill

By Eric Ostermeier on March 23, 2010
Years of service in U.S. House, district competitiveness, and district vote for McCain in '08 shaped Democratic votes; percentage of uninsured constituents in district had no impact

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Political Crumbs

Seasoned Senators in Wisconsin

May 2, 2013

Of the 15 men and women that have served in the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin since popular vote elections were introduced a century ago, Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin rank among the oldest upon first entering the chamber. Johnson began his tenure at the age of 55 years, 8 months, and 26 days in January 2011, which is the oldest of any elected Wisconsin Senator during this popular vote era. The next oldest, Alexander Wiley, was more than one year younger when he took his seat in 1939 (54 years, 7 months, 8 days). Tammy Baldwin comes in at #6 being 50 years, 10 months, and 23 days when she took office in January of this year. The youngest elected Senator from the Badger State was Robert La Follette, Jr. at 30 years, 7 months, and 24 days (1925) when he took the seat of his legendary deceased father.


Party Like It's 1986?

March 27, 2013

Tim Johnson's retirement opens up an opportunity for Republicans to gain control of both U.S. Senate seats in South Dakota for the first time since the convening of the 100th Congress in January 1987 (Tom Daschle ousted incumbent GOPer James Abdnor in the 1986 election). South Dakota is currently tied with Nevada and Washington for the 22nd longest streak in the nation since Republicans held both Senate seats at 26+ years. Neighboring North Dakota has the 13th longest streak (August 1960) with three states last seeing a GOP hold on both seats in the 1800s: Louisiana (November 1872), Florida (March 1875), and Arkansas (March 1885).


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