Senate News & Analysis
Snowe’s Decision Shakes Senate Landscape
February 28, 2012 · 7:14 PM EDT
Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe’s surprise retirement announcement on Tuesday dramatically shifts her Maine seat from the Safe Republican column and places it firmly in the center of the fight for the Senate majority.
The moderate Snowe had burnished her own independent credentials so deeply that the only real…
Senate Control Hangs in the Balance
SubscriberFebruary 24, 2012 · 2:00 PM EDT
The fight for control of the United States Senate changed only slightly, but still noticeably, over the past three months, as President Barack Obama’s poll numbers improved and the focus on the GOP presidential race further damaged an already weak Republican brand.
With the focus of political discussion…
2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Arizona - Michigan
SubscriberFebruary 24, 2012 · 1:58 PM EDT
ARIZONA – Open; Jon Kyl (R), not seeking reelection. August 28 primary.
Democrats remain optimistic about their chances of picking up this open seat, predicated largely on what they see as a strong recruit in former U.S. Surgeon General (under George W. Bush) Richard Carmona, who jumped into…
2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Minnesota - Ohio
SubscriberFebruary 24, 2012 · 1:57 PM EDT
MINNESOTA – Amy Klobuchar (D), elected 2006 (58%). August 14 primary.
GOP operatives privately admit that Sen. Klobuchar is an excellent politician. Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom, just got into the race. Klobuchar ended December with about $4.6 million in the bank and is a…
2012 Senate Overview (February 24, 2012) Pennsylvania - Wyoming
SubscriberFebruary 24, 2012 · 1:57 PM EDT
PENNSYLVANIA – Bob Casey (D), elected 2006 (59%). April 24 primary.
Casey isn’t charismatic, but his positioning as a pro-union, cultural moderate is a good one for a Democrat in the Keystone State. And the Casey name (his father was governor) is still a plus in parts of…
Nevada, Massachusetts Key to Senate Control
February 17, 2012 · 10:10 AM EDT
It is a little more than eight months until Election Day, but even now two Republican-held Senate seats look increasingly like the keys to whether Democrats can hold their narrow majority in November.
Republican strategists are overwhelmed with opportunities and potential opportunities this cycle, and even a modest…
Indiana Senate: Lugar’s Legacy
SubscriberFebruary 10, 2012 · 3:58 PM EDT
The Super Bowl is over but Indiana is getting ready for the fourth quarter of a giant U.S. Senate race.
Very few people question that Sen. Richard Lugar is vulnerable in the Republican primary. His longevity in Washington, close (at least at one time) relationship with President Obama,…
Wisconsin Senate: Overshadowed by the Recall
SubscriberJanuary 27, 2012 · 3:00 PM EDT
Under normal circumstances, Wisconsin’s first open Senate seat since 1988 would be the biggest political game in town this cycle. Sen. Herb Kohl announced his retirement in May, and though the four-term Democrat had faced easy reelections, his move sets up a competitive race that is even more complicated…
Senate Report Shorts (January 27, 2012)
SubscriberJanuary 27, 2012 · 11:59 AM EDT
Some significant movement inside a few Senate races isn’t likely to produce a change in the overall picture of the fight for the Senate.
In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren (D) raised an incredible $5.7 million in the fourth quarter of last year and another $1 million already in January.…
Cong. Fortenberry Declines Senate Run in Nebraska
January 9, 2012 · 12:34 PM EDT
In a "significant shift" over the weekend, Cong. Jeff Fortenberry (R) will not run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska and is expected to seek reelection, according to Nebraska sources.
Late last week, Fortenberry was coming to the brink, laying the ground work to enter the crowded…
