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Analysts at the Cook Political Report, who predict the probable outcomes of Senate races, moved Pennsylvania’s race from a “Lean Democrat” back to a “Toss-up” with five weeks left before the election between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz. The Cook Political Report explained in its rating change a “key caveat” to the initial rating change to a Lean Democrat” six weeks ago was the lack of Republicans sending in the race against Fetterman and Oz’s favorability rating. Fast forward six weeks, the outlet explained that with only five weeks before the elections, “that’s exactly where [they] find this...

Candidates endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump had another immaculate night in statewide and federal races Tuesday, just a day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Mar-a-Lago. His endorsement record now stands at 192-11. Businessman Tim Michels, who served as a U.S. Army ranger for 12 years, beat out his opponent, Rebecca Kleefisch, for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Wisconsin, Dave Wasserman of the Cook Report declared. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Trump endorsed Michels back in June. “Wisconsin needs a Governor who will Stop Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, strengthen our Borders (we had the...

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the presidential race in Ohio and Iowa to a "toss up" on Tuesday from "lean Republican," citing recent polls showing a tightening race between President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The independent online newsletter had moved the race in both states to "lean Republican" from "likely Republican" in mid-June but on Tuesday said it decided to shift the states to a toss up as recent polls show a close race. Ohio and Iowa, two states Trump carried in 2016, are more critical for Trump to win than for Biden. Biden doesn't necessarily...

Democratic challengers in many of the key Senate races that will determine which party controls the chamber next year have over the past three months outraised the Republican incumbents they’re hoping to unseat in November’s general election. “The green wave of fundraising that helped Democrats take back the House in 2018 is now a tsunami of cash in Senate races for Democrats that could clear the way for them to flip the Senate in November,” said Jessica Taylor, who closely tracks the Senate races for the Cook Report, a leading non-partisan political handicapper. Republicans enjoy a 53-47 majority in the...

The math was never on the GOP’s side. Republicans enjoy a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate, but the party’s defending 23 of the 35 seats up for grabs in the chamber this November. And while at least a half-dozen GOP seats are considered battlegrounds, Democrats are defending just a handful of vulnerable incumbents. Two developments this month appear to be giving the Democrats a further boost. “I do think it’s 50/50 right now. I think that Democrats' odds have improved over the past month,” predicted Jessica Taylor, who closely tracks the Senate races for the Cook Report, a leading...

Two weeks out, district-level polls reflect a House battleground gradually polarizing along the lines of the 2016 presidential race. Democrats are maintaining leads over GOP opponents in upscale, Clinton-won "Whole Foods suburbs" of Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Northern Virginia. But Republicans' numbers continue to improve in Trump-won districts in places like rural Minnesota, Upstate New York and Downstate Illinois. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows Democrats enjoy a four-point lead in midterm election interest, narrower than their ten points average lead for the first nine months of the year. It's likely that cultural flash points like the...

I only get to celebrate special days like my birthday, wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, and Christmas once a year, but I can rejoice every month or so when an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll comes out (yes, this is sadly true). The survey, conducted by Democrat Peter Hart and Republican Bill McInturff, two of the most experienced and respected pollsters in the business, contains a treasure trove of data, most of which never appears on the air or in print. Luckily for psephologists (yes, this is a word, meaning “students of elections”) and political junkies, both NBC News and The...

As 2010 approaches, President Obama is displaying a familiar strength, a familiar weakness, and a new vulnerability that could tip next year's midterm election.

The signs are there. The news is very good for conservatives trying to win back control of our country. Dozens of House Democrats are facing tough reelection campaigns next year according to Charlie Cook the respected political analyst. Cook’s “Frontline” list of Democrats in reelection trouble even includes some who often run unopposed. Veteran Democrats like John Spratt SC, John Tanner Tenn. and others who had no opponent last year could be out of office next November; so could South Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan who is trailing his Republican successor by 19 points! Seeing the light; hearing footsteps Frightened Democrats...

WASHINGTON - Election Day is three weeks from now, and unless something happens fast, this will be one of those once- or twice-in-a-generation elections when a party enjoys unbelievable gains or endures horrendous losses that prove to be the exceptions to Tip O'Neill's adage that "all politics is local." In midterm elections, Democrats last suffered such a defeat in 1994; for Republicans, it was 20 years before that in the Watergate election of 1974.

by Mark Finkelstein August 9, 2006 - 09:39 Q. How can you tell when the MSM's liberal slip is showing? A. When a host argues from the left with his own non-partisan expert! That's just what happened on this morning's Early Show. Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report was brought on to analyze yesterday's CT senate primary results. Cook presents itself as non-partisan, and certainly no one can accuse Walter of being a closet conservative. As per her bio, "prior to joining The Cook Political Report, she served as Political Director of the Women's Campaign Fund and worked for...

Here's the referenced House race report: http://www.cookpolitical.com/races/report_pdfs/2006_house_comp_jul19.pdf We keep hearing that the House is up for grabs and polls show republicasn in trouble. We hear this from so-called experts like Charles Cooke. I looked at the Congressional race in the 20th District of New York and I can tell you that Cooke os TOTALLY WRONG AND UNIFORMED. And, if he is as uniformed about other races he's putting in the toss-up or "lean" column no wonder people are believing his nonsense. CASE IN POINT: He has my Congressman John Sweeney in the "lean" column. I can tell you multiple polls...

by Mark Finkelstein June 27, 2006 Given NewsBusters' goal of exposing outrageous liberal media bias, perhaps I should switch focus from the Katie-less Today to Harry Smith & Co. at the Early Show. I rarely check in on the show, which has languished seemingly forever in last place. But, happening upon it this morning, Smith's bald-faced bias left me breathless. Smith's guest was Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report. Talk was first of the proposed flag-burning amendment. Disdain dripping, Smith observed "I'm just curious about this. Because somewhere I read in the last couple of days in the entire...

1. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as President? (IF APPROVE/DISAPPROVE, ASK:) Is that strongly (APPROVE/DISAPPROVE), or only somewhat? (IF NOT SURE/REFUSED/MIXED, ASK:) Well, do you lean more toward approve or disapprove when it comes to his performance as President? ADULTS Total Approve........................................... 42 Total Disapprove ...................................... 55 <SNIP> 3. Now, thinking about the election for U.S Congress in November 2006, regardless of how you might plan to vote in your own district, which party would you like to see in control of Congress after the congressional elections a year from...