Texas

US House Tenure Varies Wildly Across the 50 States Throughout History

By Eric Ostermeier on March 19, 2012

U.S. Representatives from western states serve an average of 2.9 years longer than those from northeastern states throughout history.

Rick Perry: Running for President of Texas?

By Eric Ostermeier on October 31, 2011

Governor Perry has mentioned Texas 83 times in his five GOP presidential debates - more than four times the number any other candidate has referred to any other state.

Remember When? Bachmann Once Led the Cheers for Ron Paul 2012 Candidacy

By Eric Ostermeier on June 13, 2011

Less than two years ago, Bachmann was Paul's opening act and applauded his prospective 2012 candidacy; on Monday the two U.S. Representatives share the New Hampshire stage as equals.

Apologygate: Could Joe Barton Lose His U.S. House Seat?

By Eric Ostermeier on June 17, 2010

Barton has enjoyed a 39-point average margin of victory since 1984

U.S. Military Service in the U.S. House of Representatives

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

The Top 50 Most Competitive U.S. House Districts in the Nation (2002-2008)

By Eric Ostermeier on March 16, 2010

Jim Gerlach's PA-06 seat is the only U.S. House district in the nation decided by less than 10 points in each of the last four election cycles; Democrats currently hold 35 of the Top 50 most competitive seats

Live Blog: Texas Caucuses

By Eric Ostermeier on March 4, 2008

11:40 p.m. A total of 67 delegates are tied to the Democratic caucuses in Texas tonight. Returns are just starting to trickle in. Obama has won 11 of 13 caucus contests to date. 11:42 p.m. Democratic (5% reporting) Obama = 56% Clinton = 44% 12:19 a.m. Democratic (13% reporting) Obama...

Live Blog: Texas Primary

By Eric Ostermeier on March 4, 2008

7:09 p.m. On the Democratic side 126 delegates are tied to Texas' primary while another 67 delegates are tied to the Texas Democratic caucuses - also held tonight. 8:05 p.m. CNN, NBC News, and Fox News characterize the Democratic race in Texas as 'too close to call,' and call the...

Pollsters Do Not Inspire Confidence On the Eve of OH, TX Primaries

By Eric Ostermeier on March 3, 2008

As even the casual political bystander has learned during the past two months of the primary season, the influx of political polling in Campaign 2008 has given pollsters more and more opportunities...to miss the mark. New Hampshire and California have been the two biggest black eyes on survey research firms...

Poll Roundup: The March 4th Primaries (Democrats)

By Eric Ostermeier on March 1, 2008

With less than 72 hours before polls close in four primary states on Tuesday, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appear to be headed for a draw. With Obama leading in the delegate count, a draw would continue his path to the Democratic nomination. However, if Clinton wins 2 states and/or...

Governor vs. Governor vs. Governor

May 16, 2012

The last election cycle saw five ex-governors attempt to win back their old jobs, with success stories in California (Jerry Brown), Iowa (Terry Branstad), and Oregon (John Kitzhaber). But in 1904, the State of Wisconsin saw three governors on the general election ballot: two-term Republican incumbent Robert La Follette, former two-term Democratic Governor William Peck (elected in 1890 and 1892), and former two-term Republican Governor Edward Scofield (elected in 1896 and 1898). La Follette - with Teddy Roosevelt at the top of the ticket winning the presidency - cruised to an 11.3-point victory over Peck with 50.5 percent of the vote. Scofield ran a distant fourth on the National Republican ticket with just 2.7 percent - also losing to Social Democrat William Arnold who received 5.5 percent, but beating Prohibition and Socialist Labor candidates.

A Vote for No One

May 9, 2012

More than 50,000 North Carolina residents who voted in the Tuesday's Republican presidential primary opted for 'no preference' on their ballot, or 5.2 percent. That marks the second highest percentage of those who have done so in the 40 years of the modern primary era, behind the 9.8 percent who indicated no preference during George H.W. Bush's rout over Pat Buchanan in the state twenty years ago in 1992. In 2008, 4.0 percent were likewise noncommittal, with 1.7 percent voting no preference in 2000, 3.8 percent in 1996, 1.0 percent in 1988, 2.7 percent in 1980, and 1.7 percent in 1976.