KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- The nomination of now-Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for Tennessee's open-seat Senate race last year represented a rightward shift for state Republicans. -- Blackburn's clear victory over former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) last year means the GOP is well-positioned to hold another open Senate seat...
Category: 2018 Senate
How’d we do in 2018? A final update
Editor’s Note: Three quick notes this week: 1. Our First-Ever Name Our Post-Election Book Contest: We’re pleased to announce that our book looking back on the 2018 midterms and ahead to 2020 will come out in April 2019 and will be published by Rowman and Littlefield. The book is as...
Trump to the rescue? Presidential campaigning and the 2018 U.S. Senate elections
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- There is not much evidence that President Trump's rallies held for GOP Senate candidates had much of an effect on the results. -- At the very least, two other factors were significantly more important: The normal partisan lean of the states where those contests...
2018 Senate: How the “Trump Ten” Races Compared to 2016
Editor's Note: The Crystal Ball will be off next week for Thanksgiving. We wish all of our readers a safe and happy holiday. After the holiday, please make a note to watch our 20th Annual American Democracy Conference on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 29. The conference will feature...
How’d we do?
Longstanding picks of a Democratic House, significant Democratic gubernatorial gains, and GOP Senate pan out
It took a lot of Krazy Glue, but we think we pieced the Crystal Ball back together, reassembling after 2016 shattered us and just about every other prediction group. As of this writing, early Wednesday afternoon, and with many uncalled House races remaining, the real-time seat projections from both the...
Final picks for 2018
Democrats in House; Republicans in Senate; Democrats big in gubernatorial races; be on guard for upsets
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- Sorry, friends, but you are going to have to actually read this one. -- Our full list of ratings changes is available here. Our best guesses for Tuesday The 2018 midterm has long been a study in contradictory signs. There is, for Republicans,...
Five days to go
Where we’re leaning in the House, Senate, and governors
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- Our final picks are coming Monday. In the meantime, our longstanding overall assessment -- Democrats favored in House, Republicans bigger favorites in Senate -- remains in place. -- Four ratings changes in the House. Table 1: Crystal Ball House ratings changes Member/District Old Rating...
New polls: Democrats lead marquee Florida races; Arizona Senate, Kansas governor effectively tied
The final pre-election Reuters/Ipsos/University of Virginia Center for Politics state-level polls of this election cycle shows Democratic candidates leading for the Sunshine State’s high-profile gubernatorial and Senate contests, while the open-seat Senate race in Arizona and the battle for the open Kansas governorship are effectively tied. These are the second...
A dozen days to go: Ratings changes in gubernatorial, House races
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- The battles for the state governorships are getting more volatile as Election Day nears. We are moving three races, Kansas, Oregon, and South Dakota, to Toss-up. -- Republican odds of holding the Senate are as good as ever. -- The playing field continues...
New polls: Nevada, Texas, Wisconsin
Republicans lead in Nevada, Democrats in Wisconsin; Cruz ahead in high-profile Texas Senate race
New Reuters/Ipsos/University of Virginia Center for Politics polls show Republicans ahead in key races in Nevada and Texas, while Democrats lead in the Wisconsin Senate race and both parties are locked in a close race for the Badger State’s governorship. These are the second polls that Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics...
New polls in the South: Georgia gubernatorial race tied; Tennessee Senate race close
Two new polls from Reuters/Ipsos/University of Virginia Center for Politics show close races in two high-profile, open-seat Southern contests: the Tennessee Senate race and Georgia gubernatorial race. In Tennessee, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R, TN-7) leads former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) 47%-44%. Earlier in the campaign, this poll might have been...
Midterm Update: North Dakota goes to Leans Republican, giving the Republicans a clearer edge in the Senate
Dark red states going different directions in gubernatorial contests
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- The North Dakota Senate race moves from Toss-up to Leans Republican, reinforcing what we’ve long described as a GOP edge in the race for the Senate. -- The Democrats do have a path to the majority, but that path almost certainly involves winning at...
New polls: Rauner in big trouble in Illinois; McCaskill, Hawley locked in tied Missouri Senate race
Missouri likely voters mixed on McCaskill’s no vote on Kavanaugh
Two new Reuters/Ipsos/University of Virginia Center for Politics polls show Democrats well on their way to picking up a key gubernatorial seat, while both parties are locked in a tied race in one of the most pivotal Senate races in the country. In Illinois, businessman J.B Pritzker (D) leads Gov....
Ratings Changes: House, Senate, and Governor
Democrats inching closer to magic number in House, poised to net several governorships; Senate battle murky as Kavanaugh effect uncertain
Editor’s Note: Before we begin this week, we just wanted to acknowledge our friend Geoffrey Skelley, our long-time Crystal Ball associate editor. Geoff started a new position this week with FiveThirtyEight. For nearly seven years, Geoffrey was an exceptionally valuable member of our team, and we will miss him...
The Senate: How 2018 sets up 2020
Keeping an eye on the next map in this cycle’s closing stretch
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE -- The 2018 Senate races are important not just for determining the majority next January, but also for setting up both parties for the next election. -- Republicans are defending almost double the seats that Democrats are defending in 2020, something of a reversal from...