Free Republic

Most Americans will focus on election results in Ohio and Florida to see who rides those states’ Electoral College votes into the White House. But the winner of the presidential race will not automatically control the 2013 legislative agenda. Congress still matters. The battle for control of the U.S. Senate is vitally important and just as hard-fought as the top-of-the-ticket contest. Currently, a caucus of 51 Democrats and two liberal Independents rule the upper chamber. Since the Vice President can cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate, Republicans would have to pick up three seats to gain a working majority...

Republicans rallied behind Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk at their annual convention over the weekend, giving him their endorsement in the race for the open, at-large House seat. After three rounds of ballots, Kalk obtained more than a majority of delegates — 929 votes — to win his party’s official support over a crowded field. Republican hopefuls traditionally abide by the GOP convention’s endorsement. This weekend, almost every other GOP House contender dropped out of the race prior to Kalk’s acceptance speech, including state Rep. Bette Grande, state Rep. Kim Koppelman, former Commerce Commissioner Shane Goettle and businessman DuWayne Hendrickson....

Freshman Rep. Rick Berg (N.D.) made his Senate campaign official Monday, providing Republicans with a top candidate for retiring Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad’s seat. “To change Washington, we need to change the Senate,” Berg said in an online video announcement circulated to supporters. “Washington could learn a lot about the way we do things in North Dakota. Unfortunately, President Obama, Harry Reid and Senate Democrats have stopped real reforms. That’s why I’m running to be North Dakota’s Senator, to bring much-needed change to the Senate.” Republicans view Berg as a top candidate for the open Senate seat in 2012. Although...

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Republican challenger Rick Berg has moved to a 10-point lead over longtime Democratic Congressman Earl Pomeroy in the race for North Dakota’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in North Dakota shows Berg with 52% support. Pomeroy, a member of the House since 1993, picks up 42% support. One percent (1%) favor some other candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

Longtime state Rep. Rick Berg (R) will be North Dakota Republican's standard bearer in the race against Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.). The state party endorsed Berg over Kevin Cramer, chairman of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and two other GOP contenders at its convention in Grand Forks, N.D. on Saturday afternoon. Cramer, Berg's main rival for the nomination, has already said he would not run in the primary if he did not win the party endorsement. Berg, the former state House Majority Leader, led Pomeroy in Rasmussen Reports poll conducted in early February, which may have helped him convince...