Congress Archives - Newshacker

Justice Stephen Breyer is Retiring. A Confirmation Battle Looms

Longtime Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, the most senior member of the court’s three-justice liberal wing, is set to announce his retirement Thursday. The decision to retire comes just ten months away from the midterm elections, where the Democrats are widely expected to lose control of Congress.

How Might the 2022 Midterms Play Out?

The 2022 midterms are just under 10 months away. As they get closer, we are starting to get a better picture of how these elections might play out, especially as congressional redistricting is starting to be finalized by most states. We are starting to see clues of how some of the most consequential elections of this midterm election cycle might play out for both the Democrats and the Republicans.

Schumer Sets Up Vote For Senate Rule Change To Pass Voting Rights Legislation

On Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced in a letter to colleagues that the Senate will vote on changing the rules to pass voting rights legislation if Republicans block a vote to open debate by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 17. The threat to nuke the filibuster comes at the beginning of a critical midterm election year for the Democratic Party, where control of both houses of Congress is at stake.

Redistricting: Which Party Is Ahead? (Dec 2021)

Forty-four states have already begun the decennial congressional redistricting process, with 20 states already enacting finalized House maps that will run through the next 10 years. That is 14 more than in the previous update (not including states with only one district). In this post, we’re going to take a look at how redistricting is going in each state and discuss which party is doing better.

An Early Preview of Congressional Redistricting

With the midterm elections being just over a year away, states are starting to begin the redistricting process by proposing new congressional maps after the results of the 2020 Census were released a few months ago. Though just four of the 44 states that go through redistricting (those that have more than just an at-large district) have finalized their maps, we are starting to get a good idea of what each party is going for with their new maps.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Preps For Partisan Bill

The Senate has finally passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill negotiated months ago and was at once on the brink of failure on Tuesday. The package includes $1.2 trillion of new spending on physical infrastructure, $550 billion of which is new spending. In a related move, Senate Democrats on early Wednesday morning passed a budget resolution allowing them to proceed on a $3.5 trillion partisan economic, infrastructure, and investment package.

The Most Competitive Races of the 2022 Senate Elections

Though they are still more than a year away, the 2022 Senate elections are already shaping up to be one of the most competitive cycles, with many states expected to be battlegrounds. The result of the 2022 Senate elections will be a key indicator of the popularity of the Biden administration and will determine the balance of power between the parties in Washington.

Senate Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill In Peril

It has been a long time since President Joe Biden first announced an infrastructure and jobs bill and over a month since a group of senators agreed on a bipartisan infrastructure package totaling $1.2 trillion, with $600 billion in new spending. Anything this large on a bipartisan scale is clearly fragile, and with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer trying to force a procedural vote on the bill on Wednesday, many Republican senators, including some of those who helped negotiate the bill, are having second thoughts.

Juneteenth Now Officially a Federal Holiday

The United States now officially has one new federal holiday: Juneteenth. This holiday, which has been unofficially observed since it was established in 1866, is celebrated annually on June 19 and commemorates the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, after the end of the Civil War and almost two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Decoding the Moves of Sen. Joe Manchin

Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from the very Republican state of West Virginia, may seem to be one of the last, if only, conservative-esque, centrist Democrats left in Congress. He seems to oppose many Democratic priorities, such as on abortion, increasing the minimum wage, and gun control, and always tries to act in a bipartisan way. Lately, he voiced his opposition to passing the For the People Act, a large, sweeping Democrat-backed voting rights reformed package also known as H.R. 1 or S. 1. However, despite this, he isn’t nearly as conservative or as Republican-friendly as he may first seem.

Senate GOP Blocks Jan. 6 Commission

Despite compromises by the Democratic Party, Senate Republicans have blocked an effort lead by the Democrats to establish a bipartisan commission investigating the riots and insurrection at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. With a bipartisan commission now officially off the books, the only other solution left for the Democrats may be to establish a congressional select committee into investigating the attack, which is sure to be more partisan.

Liz Cheney Likely to Be Removed After Impeaching Trump

Rep. Liz Cheney, Republican from Wyoming, is stuck between a rock and a hard place. The daughter of one of the country’s most prominent (and polarizing) politicians and former Vice President Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, the third most powerful House Republican, is now in hot water from her own party. After having voted to convict former President Donald Trump back in January, she is now expected to be given the boot and ousted from her leadership position.

Why Missouri Could See a Competitive Senate Race in 2022

Missouri, once a major political bellwether, has slowly drifted into being solid for the Republicans. Therefore, it may come as a surprise to many that Missouri had a Democratic senator as recently as 2018, and the 2016 U.S. Senate election here was very competitive as well. Though the 2022 Missouri U.S. Senate election is expected to be safe for the Republicans, there is one scenario in which this race could become competitive.

Census Bureau Announces New Population Estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau finally released its long-awaited population estimates from the 2020 Census on Monday. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2020, the U.S. population was estimated to be 331,449,281, an increase of about 22.7 million or 7.4 percent from 2010, when the previous census was taken. The bureau has also announced which states will gain or lose seats in the House (and thus the Electoral College), so let’s take a deeper dive.

An Early Look Into the 2022 Senate Elections

After talking about why increasing political polarization and hyperpartisanship are horrible for the Senate, today, we are going to discuss the 2022 Senate elections as a whole. The 2022 midterms will be the first major federal elections to be held in President Joe Biden’s first term, and we could see a Republican sweep if Biden is disapproved of in a year and a half’s time, or we could see Democrats maintain control if Biden and his party remain popular.

Partisanship is Destroying How the Senate Functions

The Senate is the most important legislative body in the United States. It is the upper chamber of Congress, and is also the body that confirms all of a president’s nominees. By design, the Senate was meant to exist to give smaller states equal representation in Congress and encourage bipartisanship, but America’s increasing partisanship is slowly eating away at the principles of how the Senate once worked.

Matt Gaetz In Hot Water After DOJ Probe Revealed

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a three-term Republican congressman from Florida and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, is currently embroiled in a major scandal. On March 30, The New York Times first reported that an inquiry into Gaetz had been opened by the Department of Justice in the final months of the Trump administration, looking into allegations over Gaetz having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in 2019 and whether he had violated federal sex trafficking laws.

Biden to Unveil Major Infrastructure, Jobs Plan

President Joe Biden is preparing to announce Wednesday the first half of his major infrastructure and jobs proposal during a visit to Pittsburgh. This bill, which includes major investments in utilities, transportation, and green energy, is expected to cost at least $2 trillion and will complement another bill (to be announced at a later date) on welfare and social issues, an area which the administration calls “human infrastructure.”

The Liberalization of America: Liberal Policies Increasingly Popular in Washington

Policies even the far-left couldn’t even dream of two decades ago is now becoming mainstream in Washington, and President Joe Biden is turning in favor of many of them too. From eliminating the filibuster, to investing big in green energy, to overhauling voting rights, to spending big in America’s infrastructure, and to admitting Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as states, liberal ideals are now starting to gain footholds in Congress.

Boulder Shootings Reignite Gun Control Debate

On March 22, 2021, a 21-year-old man opened fire inside a King Soopers supermarket in the town of Boulder, Colo., a suburb of Denver, killing 10 people, including a police officer. This is the second major mass shooting in a week. Last Tuesday, a gunman opened fire in three spas in the Atlanta area, killing a total of eight people. The shootings have once again brought the issue of gun control front and center onto the national stage.

GOP Opposition On COVID-19 Relief May Backfire

There is no doubt that the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill is popular among Americans. Among the bill’s many provisions include a provision that sends most Americans $1,400 in stimulus money, extends unemployment benefits, and provides many poverty-reducing measures, including a tax credit that could cut child poverty in half. However, the Republican Party has been completely united on opposing the bill, a decision which may come back to bite the GOP in the foot come the 2022 midterms.

It’s Time to Abolish Daylight Saving Time

On Sunday, millions of Americans (except Arizonans, Hawaii residents, and residents of most U.S. territories) “sprang forward” one hour in order to observe daylight saving time for the next eight months, until the first Sunday in November, when everyone “falls back” again onto standard time. Daylight saving time is, however, an old, antiquated concept and it is well past time that America—and the rest of the world—rids itself of.

Why So Many GOP Senators Are Retiring in 2022

Midterm elections are generally seen as being unfavorable to the incumbent president’s party. For example, Republicans made large gains during the 2010 and 2014 midterm elections during the Obama administration, while Democrats won back the House in the 2018 midterms during the Trump administration. So to see five Republicans (and counting) announcing retirement in the 2022 election cycle is extremely unusual and surprising.

Congress Passes $1.9T COVID-19 Relief Package

Both the House and Senate have now passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, 49 days after he took office on Jan. 20. The package passed both houses of Congress with zero Republican support, and the approval from Congress comes as U.S. COVID-19 cases and deaths are on a sharp decline and vaccine rollout occurs at one of the fastest rates in the entire world. The bill now proceeds to Biden’s desk, awaiting his signature in order for the bill to become law.

Manchin Signals Openness to Filibuster Reform

Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate West Virginia Democrat, signaled on Sunday that he is open to modifying the filibuster to make it more “painful” for the minority party to invoke, while maintaining that he does not support removing the filibuster altogether. The comments come as progressive and liberal Democrats call to eliminate the filibuster altogether to allow the Democratic Party to pass substantial reforms.

Senate Passes Biden’s $1.9T COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

The U.S. Senate passed President Joe Biden’s historic $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill after an all-night “vote-a-rama” session and a daylong struggle to convince one key senator, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to get on board with the bill. The bill passed 50-49 by a party-line vote and the House will vote on the bill again Tuesday before it is sent to the president to be signed into law.

House Passes Landmark Sweeping Voting Rights Bill

The Democratic-controlled House passed the For the People Act of 2021 on Wednesday, also known as H.R. 1. This is a major, sweeping election reform bill that will expand voting rights, limit gerrymandering, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of financial lobbying, create a public financing option for congressional campaigns and create new ethics rules for officeholders. Unfortunately, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

Senate Official Rules Against $15 Minimum Wage In Stimulus

Democrats, especially progressive Democrats, suffered a major setback on Thursday in their bid to include a provision that would gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, after the Senate parliamentarian, who acts as the rule enforcer, said that it could not be included in the bill, since the bill is to be passed via the budget reconciliation measure.

Neera Tanden Faces Hard Path to Confirmation as OMB Director

Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, is facing scrutiny from members of Congress. As Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced on Friday that he would vote against her confirmation, it significantly reduces the likelihood of her confirmation given Republican resistance to her confirmation.

Trump Acquitted for 2nd Time in Impeachment Trial

Former President Donald Trump was acquitted for a second time in his Senate impeachment trial on Saturday, drawing one of the fastest-ever impeachments to an end in the Democratic Senate. He had been impeached by the Democratic House of Representatives after his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection for high crimes and misdemeanors, more specifically, for “incitement of insurrection.”

Trump Displeased With His Impeachment Defense

The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump began on Tuesday afternoon in the Senate, just over a year after he was last acquitted of high crimes and misdemeanors in his first trial. Trump has been accused of inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Though there had been debate over whether or not the trial of a former official left office was constitutional, the Senate voted to continue with the trial in the end.

Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Tuesday

In an unprecedented move, the House impeached now-former President Donald Trump in the middle of January over his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The impeachment now moves on into its last stage: a trial in the Senate. After this trial, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, the Senate will vote as to whether or not Trump is guilty over the articles of impeachment filed by the House.

House Removes Greene From Committee Assignments

After House Republicans voted against removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., of her committee assignments on Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House held a floor vote on Thursday which removed her from her committee assignments on the House Budget Committee and House Committee on Education and Labor.

Divided GOP Refuses to Punish Greene But Lets Cheney Stay

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the House Minority Leader, refused on Wednesday to take action against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., for spreading false and dangerous conspiracy theories and threatening violence against Democrats by removing all her committee assignments. However, in a House Republican Conference call, House Republicans voted not to remove Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., from Republican leadership even though she voted to impeach Trump last month.

Dems Pave Way to Use Reconciliation to Pass COVID-19 Relief

Senate Democrats took a major step Tuesday in advancing toward passing a major $1.9 trillion COVID-19 economic relief and stimulus package by voting to kickstart the process to pass the package via budget reconciliation. This is a congressional maneuver which could avoid a Republican filibuster in the Senate stopping the package from passing, since reconciliation requires only a simple majority to pass in the Senate.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Faces Backlash for Conspiratorial Comments

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a newly-elected Republican representative from Georgia’s 14th Congressional District in the northwestern part of the state, is under huge scrutiny from the Democratic Congress and even Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for her embracement of QAnon conspiracy theories, some of which include 9/11 conspiracy theories, school shootings as Democratic conspiracies to enact gun control, and more.

DC Statehood Bill Introduced In US Senate

On Wednesday, Democrats once again reintroduced legislation in the House and Senate that would make Washington, D.C., the 51st state. The measure was reintroduced in the House after it died in the 116th Congress when the then-Republican-controlled Senate refused to hold a vote on the bill after it passed the house by Washington, D.C., Democratic Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a nonvoting delegate representing the district in Congress, and in the Senate by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

Trump Likely To Be Acquitted In the Senate

Senate Republicans largely voted against trying former President Donald Trump after he was impeached with just a few days left in his term in the House for incitement of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Only five Republican senators voted against tabling a bill forced by Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky, which, if passed, would have declared the trial unconstitutional and ended.

Sen. Rob Portman to Retire in 2022, Opening Path For Dems

Sen. Rob Portman, a well-respected two-term Republican senator from Ohio, announced Monday that he will retire when his term ends in 2022 and will not run for reelection, explaining that it is becoming increasingly difficult to “break through the partisan gridlock” in Congress and opening up a major battleground state in what will be a hotly contested midterm election for Senate control.

Impeached Again: Trump Impeached for a 2nd Time

President Donald Trump has become the first president (and first-ever federal official for that matter too) in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives for a second time, this time for “incitement of insurrection.” In the most bipartisan impeachment ever, 10 Republicans bucked the party line and voted to impeach a president from their own party.

Trump’s Presidency Will End With Second Impeachment

Representatives in the House said they would move to impeach the president on Wednesday, after formally calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office Tuesday. The sole article of impeachment accuses the president of “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States,” after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week.

First Look at the 2022 Midterm Senate Elections

Although the 2022 Midterms are still two years away, it is never too early to start thinking about them. In today’s post, we are going to take a look at where things stand in the 2022 Senate elections. Like in every American election, there will be some key battleground races to focus on, which will once again determine which party will gain (or retain) control of the Senate.

Donald Trump Could Be Impeached Again

While Congress certified the electoral votes to affirm Joe Biden’s victory on Wednesday, an armed insurrection, egged on by President Trump’s claims of voter fraud, of the United States Capitol Building took place. Insurgents and rioters attempted to stop Congress certifying Biden’s victory after Trump called for people to go to the Capitol Building. Now, the president is now being accused of causing the insurrection, and Democrats floating the idea of impeaching Trump for the second time.

Violent Rioting Mob Storms Into US Capitol

After a proud moment for the Democrats and the country yesterday as the party took back the United States Senate for the first time in six years, yesterday, Wednesday, January 6, 2021, marks a sad and disgraceful day in the history of the United States. A violent mob, encouraged by the words of President Trump, rioted in the nation’s capital city, eventually breaking into the U.S. Capitol and causing the building to be evacuated, just as Congress began certifying electoral votes for President-Elect Joe Biden.

Democrats Poised to Gain Control of US Senate

In a fairly surprising turn of events since November, both Democratic challengers, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are expected to unseat incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Georgia’s two U.S. Senate election runoffs, giving the Democrats a slim majority in the Senate and a trifecta for the first time in a decade.

US Senate Majority to Be Decided Today In Georgia Runoffs

This is it, folks. The last official race of the 2020 election season, and arguably one of the most important set of races. Voters in Georgia will be deciding which party controls the United States Senate in two runoff elections today, Jan. 5. Incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing off against Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and the Democrats must win both races in order to win the Senate majority.

Georgia Senate Runoffs Edge Closer and Closer

Although the outcome of the 2020 presidential and House races have been determined for the Democrats, control of the Senate still remains up in the air. With the Democrats and Republicans alike hardly flipping any seats in the Senate this election cycle, the Georgia Senate runoffs will now singlehandedly decide the balance of power in the 117th Congress.

House Overrides NDAA Veto; Passes $2,000 Stimulus Checks

In a special holiday session between Christmas and New Year, the House of Representatives convened again to do two things, presenting a major issue to the GOP and causing a fracture within the party: scheduling two votes, one to override the veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and another to increase the amount offered to Americans via stimulus checks in the stimulus bill from $600 to $2,000.

Trump Signs Relief & Funding Bill, But Only After Aid Lapses

President Trump has finally signed the massive $2.3 trillion combined COVID-19 relief and government funding bill for the next fiscal year, despite calling the bipartisan bill, which passed both houses of Congress with overwhelming veto-proof majorities, a “disgrace” a few days earlier on Twitter. Though signing the bill will avert a federal government shutdown which would’ve begun Monday, the bill was only signed after two critical unemployment provisions lapsed.

Congress Passes COVID Relief Bill, Providing Temporary Relief

Capitol Hill leaders announced Sunday night that after months of partisan deadlock in Congress, they have finally managed to secure a $900 billion coronavirus relief package. This package is smaller than is ideal, but offers a sign of rare good news during an otherwise dark time and will provide some temporary relief to millions of Americans, which could avert a looming poverty crisis and the economy from falling back into recession.

‘Rigged Election’ Claims Raise Concerns From Georgia GOP

The Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections will decide control of the United States Senate of the 117th Congress. Currently, the GOP sits at 50 seats in the Senate, while the Democrats are at 48. To win a majority, Democrats must win both seats in the upcoming runoff elections. It isn’t a stretch to say that this runoff will be a very, very important election. Yet, President Trump’s comments about the 2020 election being “rigged” is causing concern for many Republicans, especially the Georgia GOP.

Senate Control Likely Decided By January Georgia Runoffs

With the Democrats failing in flipping Maine and Iowa’s U.S. Senate seats and likely failing to flip North Carolina’s Senate seat, and failing to win over voters in Montana, South Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas, all seats thought to be competitive, the control of the U.S. Senate will probably (barring any surprises in N.C. and Alaska) end up being determined by two key Senate runoff elections to be held on January 5.

What Went Wrong For the Democrats This Election?

This year was widely expected to be a Blue Wave year, with Democrats winning big in the Electoral College, expanding their lead in the Senate, and widening their majority in the House, as well as flipping a number of state legislatures, etc. However, election night proved that none of these things happened. What went so wrong for the Democrats, and what can be done about it going forward?

Races Tight In Georgia and Pennsylvania

Two days after Election Day, the presidential race is still too close to call, with leads being extremely tight in the key battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, which will decide the election. Let’s take a look at where the race currently stands.

Where the Race Stands One Day After Election Day

_{This post last updated on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. EST.}

It’s now one day after Election Day but we still do not have a clear winner of the presidency; nor do we have a clear idea of which party will gain Senate control. Though the House has already been called for the Democrats by a number of news organizations, a number of swing states are still yet to be called.

Key Races By State and Expected Vote Report Times

Election Day is now officially here. Over 99 million people have voted already, according to data compiled by the U.S. Elections Project. In actuality, “Election Day” really is vote-tabulation day, since so many people have chosen to vote early this year. In today’s post, we are going to take a look at each state, from Alabama all the way to Wyoming, and discussing the key races briefly.

Final 2020 Pre-Election US Senate Prediction

Welcome to the final installment of the Newshacker Blog U.S. Senate election prediction. This will be the final prediction from this blog for the Senate elections from now through to Election Day. 91 million Americans have already voted early, based on data compiled by the U.S. Elections Project, and with this year expected to be a Democratic wave year, the Democrats ride high with a 73 percent chance of gaining a trifecta in government.

Is Michigan Is Safer For Biden Than South Dakota Is For Trump?

One of the three Rust Belt swing states (the others being Pennsylvania and Wisconsin), Michigan shocked the nation when it voted for Trump in 2016 by a margin of just 0.23 percent. This prompted many to ask whether the so-called “Blue Wall” will ever exist again. However, it seems like that the Great Lakes State, along with its neighbors, have been able to rebuild the lucrative “Blue Wall” again.

Three Competitive Senate Races: Alabama, Alaska, and Maine

Among the most competitive U.S. Senate races this year we have Alabama, Alaska, and Maine. That may seem strange, given that these states are very solid on the presidential level. Two in three of these states have Republican incumbents: Dan Sullivan from Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine, while Alabama, a deep-red Bible Belt state, has an incumbent Democrat, Doug Jones, and all of them are super competitive. Let’s find out why in this post.

How Did Kansas’s US Senate Race Get So Competitive?

Among the numerous surprising U.S. Senate races that have gotten very competitive this year, like South Carolina and Montana, Kansas is one such race. The Sunflower State is one of the most socially conservative and Republican-leaning states in the country. In this open Senate race, Democratic candidate Barbara Bollier has managed to run up the numbers against Republican candidate Roger Marshall. In this post, we are going to take a look at how this race got so competitive.

Democrats Have a 73% Chance of Winning the Senate (Mid-Oct.)

As Election Day draws closer and closer, the Democrats and Republicans are battling over who will win the U.S. Senate majority. With 16 million people having voting already, it is just a matter of time until we know which party wins back the Senate. Since my last Senate prediction, not much has changed on the Senate level compared to the presidential level, but there have still been a number of changes.

How South Carolina’s US Senate Race Got So Competitive

South Carolina is traditionally a ruby-red, solid Republican state. However, the incumbent Republican U.S. senator, Lindsey Graham, is facing the fight of his life. Polls have shown the race at a virtual statistical tie. How did the Senate race in the Palmetto State get so tight, when he won reelection in 2014 by a safe margin? And will Graham actually lose?

Will Texas Flip Blue This November? (October Update)

I last covered the topic of Texas flipping blue back in August. Since then, a great deal has changed in the national landscape. So, today, we will be looking at whether the Lone Star State will flip blue in either the Presidential or Senate levels. Texas is a key state to watch as it is the second-largest Electoral College prize at 38 electoral votes, behind only California with 55.

A Discussion On the US House Elections (October)

FiveThirtyEight has released its U.S. House prediction model on October 7. With this influx of new data, I believe it is time once again to take a look at the U.S. House elections as they stand in early October. Though not much has changed regarding the House elections since my last prediction in September (Democrats are still clearly favored to win), there are some close races to talk about.

Two Tossup Senate Races and a Tight Presidential Race in Georgia

Georgia may have long been a solid Republican state, but like many others, is a hotly contested swing state this year. The Peach State has two high-stakes U.S. Senate elections and a very tight presidential race, with all candidates virtually neck-and-neck. In fact, based on FiveThirtyEight’s U.S. Senate forecast, it is the closest GOP-leaning state in terms of margins.

Democrats Maintain a Modest But Consistent Lead in NC

North Carolina is one of the most hotly contested swing states this election season, with a very competitive presidential race, a moderately competitive Senate race, and a less-competitive governor race, all of which are projected to go to the Democrats. The Tar Heel State is a former Confederate state and leans slightly Republican in recent years, but owing to demographic shifts, may possibly be moving back in the Democrats’ favor once again. The state is quite a large electoral prize, possessing 15 electoral votes.

Iowa: Presidential, Senate, and House Tossup

Though Iowa, the Hawkeye State, is seen as getting progressively more Republican due to the state voting for Donald Trump by a 10-point margin in 2016, it is still a hotly contested swing state and definitely on both parties’ radar. There are close presidential, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House races in the state, and we also must not forget the fact that Iowa has a long history of big swings between presidential candidates.

SCOTUS Opening Shakes Up the Senate Race (Late Sept.)

^{Disclaimer: As this article was written before the new revelations on President Trump’s tax returns, the information in this article may not fully reflect the political landscape that has developed because of these revelations.}

Since I last covered the Senate race earlier this month, a lot has changed due to the sudden passing of Justice Ginsburg. With Democrats adamant on not replacing Ginsburg’s seat until a new president is elected in November, the Democratic Party is sure to come out in full force to vote this November. This has shaken up the Senate race by quite a lot, so let’s take a look.

The Races In Montana Are Tightening Up

In most people’s eyes, Montana is a solidly Republican state, having voted for the Republican president every election since 1992 (and prior to that, 1964). But just dig slightly deeper, and you will find that Montana is not actually that solid for the Republicans at all.

The Races In Arizona Are Moving In Democrats’ Favor

Arizona, once a ruby-red state that has voted the Republican nominee for president since 1996 (and before that, 1948!) is no longer. It isn’t even just a swing state, like Texas or North Carolina. Rather, it is now a state that is favored for the Democrats to win. Let’s take a look at some of the data coming out from Arizona.

The House Elections as of September 2020

In this post, we are going to take a look at the most competitive House of Representatives races and how they stand about 55 days out from the November general election. We will only discuss the most competitive house races, because otherwise, we would be here until tomorrow morning if we were to discuss all 435 House seats.

Which Party is Winning the Race For the Senate? (Sept. 2020)

Since we last discussed the race for the U.S. Senate in August, a lot has changed on the national landscape. The DNC and RNC have both taken place, and as we head into the presidential debates, the race for the Senate is undoubtedly going to narrow up. Let’s take a look at where things stand for each party exactly two months out from the November general election.

2020 Senate Race Updates (August)

It’s been over two months since my last post on the 2020 Senate Race. Since then, a lot has changed and there have been slews of new polls. There are a total of 35 contested seats, one of which is Georgia’s special election. (As per usual, I don’t use the tossup characterization, I try to characterize every state.) Let’s take a deeper look at the Senate elections as they stand in August 2020.

A First Look at the 2020 Senate Election

In today’s post, I would like to discuss the Senate Election as it currently stands. A lot has changed in the last couple of weeks, turning the tide, especially in the Democratic Party’s favor. Many seats once considered safe are now flipping in favor of the Democratic Party. Here is the general consensus.