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Is Scott Walker the GOP's Sleeper Presidential Candidate?

Beth Reinhard | June 17, 2013

As a potential contender for the Republican presidential nomination, the Wisconsin governor looks good on paper.

Economy Expectations May Be Giving Obama a Lift

Ronald Brownstein | June 13, 2013

The recovery may be offsetting any recent controversies that would otherwise hurt the president's approval rating.

Christie, Fallon Slow-Jam the News—With a Dose of Innuendo

Niraj Chokshi | June 13, 2013

"Aw, yeah, Chris Christie's about to give New Jersey a huge election and he's putting it in the hands of the people."

Why Republicans Can Get Away With Ignoring Their Problems

Ronald Brownstein | June 6, 2013

The GOP can enjoy another strong midterm election in 2014 without doing much more to attract young or minority voters.

Why D.C. Democrats Can Still Pick Sides in Primaries

Scott Bland | June 5, 2013

Washington Democrats aren't afraid to play favorites in House primaries. That's an unavoidable (and sometimes desired) effect of efforts like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Jumpstart" program, which gives early financial and organizational backing to promising challengers in Repu...

Republicans Fuming Over Chris Christie's Senate Decision

Josh Kraushaar and Mike Catalini contributed to this report. | June 4, 2013

The New Jersey governor's decision to hold the Senate race in October 2013 means it will be difficult for the GOP to contest the seat.

Gallup Post Mortem Leads To Polling Changes

Steven Shepard | June 4, 2013

The world's best-known polling firm has 4 reasons for why they badly miscalculated the election outcome.

Senate Republicans Tiptoe Around Activist Base

Reid Wilson | June 2, 2013

GOP candidates have lost in at least 6 states over the last two election cycles.

Jersey Shore Reunion: What's in It for Obama and Christie?

Michael Catalini | May 28, 2013

The president and the GOP governor get together on the coast for a visit freighted with politics.

Wait About Two Months, Then Check the President's Approval Rating

Michael Catalini | May 22, 2013

President Obama's approval rating in several recently released polls suggests that the three controversies his administration is navigating have not begun to sting him.

New Poll Shows Snyder and Schauer Tied in Michigan

Julie Sobel | May 21, 2013

A new poll released Tuesday shows a tight gubernatorial race in Michigan, and shows Democratic Rep. Gary Peters with the early edge in the Senate race. The EPIC-MRA poll tests GOP Gov. Rick Snyder against former Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer, who has indicated he's leaning toward a bid. The two are...

Local Democrats Breaking With Party To Endorse Chris Christie

Kevin Brennan | May 16, 2013

Trailing badly in the polls, New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono, the likely Democratic nominee for governor in the fall, is doing her best to link Gov. Chris Christie to the national GOP. “I didn’t think the Republicans could find anybody that was as out of touch with middle class values as, yo...

Cory Booker Scores Contributions From Famous Athletes

Kevin Brennan | May 15, 2013

Cory Booker is quite popular in Hollywood. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported his week that guests at a recent Los Angeles fundraiser for the Newark Mayor included Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis. He previously has received contributions from directors Ron Howard and Rob Reiner. But Booker's big-n...

Obama's Struggles Hampering Democratic Recruitment

Alex Roarty | May 13, 2013

It's tough to persuade Democrats to run in a challenging political environment.

Senate Democrats Starting On The Defensive

Michael Catalini | May 8, 2013

Facing a difficult landscape in 2014, Democrats having trouble recruiting for Republican-held seats.

In Massachusetts, Kids Poll the Darndest Things

Steven Shepard | May 3, 2013

The first post-primary poll in next month's Massachusetts Senate special election was released Thursday, but while the survey carried the name of a prominent Boston university, it wasn't conducted by the school or its faculty. The automated poll was conducted by a newly-reinstated student group on c...

Why No One’s Winning in Washington

Ronald Brownstein | May 2, 2013

Republicans needed to move to the center. The Democrats needed to fix the economy. Oh well.

Black Voters Are Key to a Colbert Busch Win in South Carolina

Beth Reinhard | April 28, 2013

The Democrat is airing a radio ad accusing Mark Sanford of voter suppression.

Democrats Land Buzzy Recruit in Another Obama-GOP House District

Scott Bland | April 26, 2013

House Democrats have landed a recruit to run against Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., in the Central Valley's 10th Congressional District. Farmer and beekeeper Michael Eggman announced Tuesday that he will seek the seat, which was one of 17 in the country to split its votes between a Republican congressm...

Special Interests Shadow Immigration Reform

Beth Reinhard | April 26, 2013

Supporters are fending off charges that the legislation caters to the K Street crowd.

'Press Pass' Wins Political Pursuit

Sarah Mimms and Dan Roem | April 25, 2013

After five rounds of intense trivia, jokes and a few beer breaks, the Press Pass team claimed victory at our Fifth Annual Political Pursuit event. Roll Call's Shira Toeplitz, Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, New York Times' Carl Hulse, Washington Post's Paul Kane and Cook Political Report's Amy Wa...

Mitch McConnell, Super Populist

Reid Wilson | April 25, 2013

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is a staid, understated politician. He doesn't give pulpit-pounding speeches, and he rarely electrifies an audience. That's what makes this video, released today by McConnell's campaign team, so remarkable. Remember those Tim Pawlenty videos folks compared to...

Being In the Middle Class Means Worrying About Falling Behind

Ronald Brownstein | April 25, 2013

After years of economic turmoil, most families now believe the most valuable—and elusive—possession in American life is economic security.

Democrats Argue Over Who's Tougher on National Security After Boston Bombings

Beth Reinhard | April 23, 2013

National security was a contentious topic at Monday night's Democratic debate.

Poll: Kasich Leads Dems FitzGerald, Cordray

Alex Brown | April 18, 2013

While Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald solidifies his frontrunner status for the Democratic nomination, he trails Gov. John Kasich in a potential general election matchup, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. Kasich owns a 46-percent-to-37-percent edge over FitzGerald...

A Polarized Congress Tests Fred Upton’s Instincts

Amy Harder | April 17, 2013

In the final days of the last Congress, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton spoke out against a bill to provide roughly $50 million to aid the victims of superstorm Sandy.

Report: Democratic Activists Admitted Recording McConnell Meeting

Alex Roarty | April 11, 2013

Members of the liberal group Progress Kentucky told a local Democratic official that they secretly recorded a private conversation between Mitch McConnell and his campaign aides, according to a published report from a local public radio station, a bombshell revelation that, if true, might lead to cr...

April Fools! Using the Day of Hijinks to Advance a Message

Niraj Chokshi | April 1, 2013

Leave it to the wonks and activists who work in Washington to turn an occasion for hijinks into a chance to further what they do every day: Attack their opponents and peddle their causes.

Senate Democrats Are Betting on Family Dynasties to Win Red States

Beth Reinhard | March 31, 2013

Senators are hoping that voters will be looking for familiar faces over fresh ones in the 2014 midterms.

Dems Focus on Freshmen in Frontline Program

Alex Roarty | March 5, 2013

More than half of the DCCC's 26-member incumbent-protection program, announced today, are freshmen, including a handful of members who returned to the House this year after previously serving in Congress. The effort, called the Frontline Program, will be led by Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz, a former par...

How the House Holds the Senate GOP Hostage

Alex Roarty | March 3, 2013

Upper-chamber Republicans prefer a more circumspect approach, but they are increasingly defined by their hard-line House counterparts.

Vulnerable Republicans Side With Dems to Reauthorize VAWA

Scott Bland | February 28, 2013

As the House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Thursday, defusing a damaging political issue for the GOP even as most of the party stood opposed, a group of vulnerable Republicans had a unanimous message for observers: We're not like the rest of them. Every si...

How Both Sides Botched the Sequester Fight

Ronald Brownstein | February 28, 2013

The White House and congressional Republicans each notch tactical wins but fail on strategy.

Toned-Down Walker Predicts Less 'Intense' Reelection Campaign

Alex Brown | February 25, 2013

The GOP's rebound from a tough 2012 election cycle will come from the ranks of its governors, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Sunday in an interview with Hotline On Call. "In the next [presidential] election, Republicans would be wise, whomever it is, to nominate a governor," said Walker, who was...

What Unites Obama's Coalition — and What Could Divide It

Ronald Brownstein | February 21, 2013

One conclusion that jumps from the Pew Research Center/USA Today national survey released Thursday is that the coalition that reelected President Obama last fall remains in step behind him — and is largely unified behind the key elements of his increasingly aggressive second-term agenda. But the poll also suggests that failure to generate more-rapid economic recovery could nonetheless strain the powerful coalition Obama has assembled.

Traditional Federal College Aid Needs Overhaul, Education Group Says

Doris Nhan | February 14, 2013

The rapid growth of the Hispanic population, among minorities needing better access to higher education, leads an advocacy group to suggest that the federal financial-aid structure is outdated.

Report: Suozzi, Once a Rising N.Y. Dem Star, Attempts Comeback

Steven Shepard | February 13, 2013

Tom Suozzi, once a rising star of the New York State Democratic Party, will launch a campaign for Nassau County executive, the Long Island newspaper Newsday reported Wednesday, just four years after being unseated from that post by Republican Ed Mangano. The Newsday report: In 2009, Suozzi lost...

How 'House of Cards' Gets the Biggest Thing About Washington Wrong

Josh Kraushaar | February 13, 2013

Netflix's House of Cards gets the small things right but the biggest thing about Washington wrong.

Mitch McConnell Wants to See the Hemp Ban Go Up in Smoke

Elahe Izadi | February 1, 2013

Senate Republican leader says hemp production would create jobs, not encourage illegal drug use.

Targeted House Republicans Start With More Cash Than Dem Counterparts

Scott Bland | February 1, 2013

For what it's worth, many of the most vulnerable House Republicans start the 2014 cycle in slightly better financial shape than the earliest targeted House Democrats. In recent days, major campaign groups on either side of the House have announced early target lists for 2014, mostly featuring veter...

With New Support Base, Obama Doesn't Need Right-Leaning Whites Anymore

Ronald Brownstein | February 1, 2013

For decades, Democrats shaped their policies around fears of the culturally conservative white voters to the GOP. But Obama’s winning coalition has altered that calculus.

The Passive-Aggressive Zen Tweets of Cory Booker

Elahe Izadi | February 1, 2013

Cory Booker is awfully passive-aggressive in his responses to Frank Lautenberg's attacks.

Why Obama Is Giving Up on Right-Leaning Whites

Ronald Brownstein | January 31, 2013

For decades, Democrats shaped their policies around fears of losing right-leaning white voters to the GOP. But Obama’s winning coalition has altered that calculus.

Why Ashley Judd's Breakup Is Bad News for Mitch McConnell

Michael Catalini | January 30, 2013

Actress Ashley Judd and Indy Car driver Dario Franchitti are ending their marriage after 11 years, and, yes, it affects Mitch McConnell.

New Jersey Senator Bashes Cory Booker's Performance as Mayor

Elahe Izadi | January 24, 2013

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., says Newark is a "city in desperate need of attention."

There May Be No Way to Silence Republican Outcast Tim Huelskamp

Ben Terris | January 23, 2013

John Boehner doesn't like him. But the Kansas representative and his cadre of rebel Republicans are increasingly able to derail the speaker's plans.

Poll: Nearly Three-in-Four N.J. Voters Approve of Christie

Steven Shepard | January 23, 2013

New Jersey voters continue to throw their enthusiastic support behind gregarious Gov. Chris Christie, and the Republican is poised to romp over his eventual Democratic opponent in November, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. A whopping 74 percent of registered voters...

How the Democrats Are Taking Over California

Ronald Brownstein and Stephanie Czekalinski contributed | January 18, 2013

Demographic shifts and coastal liberalism have given huge power to Democrats. They control the state – but there's restlessness on the left.

Why the Democrats Are Golden in California

Ronald Brownstein and Stephanie Czekalinski contributed | January 17, 2013

Demographic shifts and coastal liberalism have given huge power to Democrats. They control the state – but there's restlessness on the left.

7 Hopeful Signs for Republicans

Matthew Cooper | January 17, 2013

They're down but not out. Here's why things are better than you think for the GOP.

Expect Obama to Be More Aggressive in His Second Term

Ronald Brownstein | January 16, 2013

Obama's forceful moves on controversial fronts represent a calculated gamble that the evolution of the U.S. electorate has reached a critical tipping point.

Cory Booker's Awkward Senate Dance

Elahe Izadi | January 15, 2013

Newark's mayor is learning about Jersey-style politics the hard way.

'No Labels' Adds Washington Muscle to Reform Washington

Ron Fournier | January 14, 2013

Centrist and squishy no more? Grassroots advocacy group shifts focus in bid to fix political system.

Cory Booker for Senate Files With FEC

Elahe Izadi | January 11, 2013

Newark Mayor Cory Booker hasn’t officially thrown his hat into the ring for a Senate seat, but he is getting closer.

It's Not Just Partisanship That Divides Congress

Ronald Brownstein and Scott Bland | January 10, 2013

The same demographic trends that helped Republicans keep the House will hurt their shot at the presidency. And the trends that propelled Obama to reelection will impede Democrats from retaking the House.

Why You Don't Want to Cross Chris Christie

Molly Ball - The Atlantic | January 3, 2013

The Republican New Jersey governor unloads on his party for failing to pass the Hurricane Sandy relief bill.

Chris Christie May Be the Smartest Man in Politics

Ron Fournier | January 3, 2013

The smartest move in politics today is to move against Washington and the major political parties.

A Look Back at the Fiscal Cliff, in Pictures

January 2, 2013

Cory Booker Explores Senate Run

Elahe Izadi | December 20, 2012

Welp, it's official: Newark Mayor Cory Booker is eyeing a run for Senate, not governor.

Ex-NRCC Polling Director: Embrace Robo-Polls

Steven Shepard | December 19, 2012

Brock McCleary, the former deputy political and polling director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, has a message for media outlets that do not report the results of automated polls -- a list that includes The New York Times, ABC News, NBC News, and, yes, National Journal and Hotlin...

The City-Bound Majority

Peter Bell and Brian McGill | December 13, 2012

Counties won by Democratic candidates for president

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