South Carolina
By Eric Ostermeier on May 8, 2013
The Democratic Party's longest U.S. House pick-up drought in the nation extended to 48 consecutive losses in South Carolina Tuesday, where the party has failed to gain a seat for a quarter-century.
By Eric Ostermeier on May 7, 2013
Elizabeth Colbert Busch discusses her family in 34 percent of her campaign website bio compared to just 8 percent for Mark Sanford; Sanford devotes 81 percent to career accomplishments.
By Eric Ostermeier on May 6, 2013
Idaho has not hosted a special election to the House in its 122 years since statehood; Delaware last held one during the McKinley administration with Utah and New Hampshire during the Hoover years.
By Eric Ostermeier on May 2, 2013
Colbert Busch could become the sixth woman elected to Congress from South Carolina - but the first without political ties by marriage or birth.
By Eric Ostermeier on April 15, 2013
South Carolina Democrats have recorded 47 consecutive contests without picking up a GOP-held U.S. House seat, eclipsing Missouri (45), Nebraska (33), and Georgia (30).
By Eric Ostermeier on January 17, 2013
The last time a former governor of the Palmetto State won a U.S. House contest was a decade before the Civil War (William Aiken).
By Eric Ostermeier on December 10, 2012
Only one sitting U.S. House member has been appointed out of 15 appointments to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina; only four of these appointed senators were subsequently elected to the chamber
By Eric Ostermeier on December 7, 2012
DeMint will join the likes of Charles Pinckney, Thomas Sumpter, John Calhoun, and Strom Thurmond - former South Carolina U.S. Senators who resigned from the highest legislative office in the land.
By Eric Ostermeier on January 20, 2012
The former House Speaker has received the moderator's first question in six of the last seven debates.
By Eric Ostermeier on January 18, 2012
The Palmetto State is one of nearly two-dozen states with a perfect record in picking eventual GOP presidential nominees since 1980.
By Eric Ostermeier on January 17, 2012
FOX gives the GOP frontrunner 8 minutes and 23 seconds more speaking time than his closest competitor - the largest gap in the debates thus far.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 2, 2011
South Carolina Republicans have successfully defended their last 42 House seats since 1988; the Missouri GOP is 40-0 in defending its districts since 1994.
By Eric Ostermeier on September 19, 2011
Allen West, Joe Walsh, Tim Scott, and Sean Duffy are the most covered U.S. House freshmen of 2011.
By Eric Ostermeier on June 24, 2010
New York has given birth to 116 future governors of other states, or 1 for every 1.9 years since statehood; South Carolina leads the nation with 88 percent of its governors 'home-grown'
By Eric Ostermeier on May 31, 2010
GOP caucus has 60 percent higher rate of service than Democratic caucus; 17 state delegations have no members with military background
By Eric Ostermeier on February 16, 2010
South Carolina tops list at $1.6 million per district with Minnesota 10th at $983,029; candidates in Northeastern congressional districts receiving the most money overall
By Eric Ostermeier on October 27, 2009
Obama states hold 10 of the top 12 slots in out of state per capita fundraising among itemized individual donors
By Eric Ostermeier on October 21, 2009
Even after excluding South Carolina, McCain states contributed at a 20.8 percent higher rate to Wilson than Obama states
By Eric Ostermeier on September 10, 2009
Gallagher called Representative Wilson a "hero" in standing up to the President and vowed he could raise $100,000 in 30 minutes from his listeners
By Eric Ostermeier on January 26, 2008
Smart Politics will continue to monitor and update the official Democratic primary results tonight in South Carolina. The following updated percentages are based on raw vote numbers provided by reporting precincts, not a scientific random sample. 6:00 p.m. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News all have declared Barack Obama the winner...
