"That blog isn't called Smart Politics for nothing."
- POLITICO

"Smart Politics is by far the best Minnesota political blog.
I check it every day and encounter much good information
and analysis that I can get nowhere else."
- Steven E. Schier
Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon
Professor of Political Science
Carleton College

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Track Record

Unmatched in the region

Smart Politics' inaugural political analysis and election projections were unmatched in the region in the 2006 General Election, correctly projecting the winners in 27 of 28 gubernatorial, US Senate, and US House races in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

· Smart Politics projected the Democratic US House pick-ups in Minnesota's 1st District (Tim Walz), Wisconsin's open 8th District (Steven Kagen), and Iowa's open 1st District (Bruce Braley).

· Smart Politics also correctly predicted Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty would successfully defend his re-election bid in the face of this Democratic wave.

· Smart Politics delved deep into state politics, accurately projecting Democratic pick-ups in all 8 Upper Midwestern state legislative chambers as well as predicting the 2006 Democratic takeovers of the Iowa House, Minnesota House, and Wisconsin Senate .

In the 2008 General Election, Smart Politics correctly projected 49 of the 51 statewide (+ D.C.) victories in the presidential race as well as 33 out of 34 U.S. Senate races. Smart Politics correctly called 21 out of 22 U.S. House races in the Upper Midwest; nationally, Smart Politics projected the Democrats to win 263 U.S. House seats (they won 257).

In Upper Midwestern state legislatures, Smart Politics correctly projected the Democratic takeover of the Wisconsin Assembly as well as Democratic pick-ups in the Iowa Senate, Minnesota House, South Dakota House, and Iowa House. Overall, Smart Politics' projection of the net party composition change was correct within 1 seat in four of the seven Upper Midwestern legislative chambers on the ballot (South Dakota House, Minnesota House, Iowa Senate, Wisconsin Senate) and within 2 seats in two chambers (Wisconsin Assembly and South Dakota Senate).