The bubble of conventional wisdom was burst last week, with the election of Republican Brian Bilbray to succeed disgraced Representative Duke Cunningham in California’s 50th House district. While most reporters and analysts, including this pundit, publicly bet a nickel on Bilbray because of the GOP nature of the district, we may have secretly rooted for Democratic challenger Francine Busby. No, Republican friends, this isn’t proof of partisanship. Rather, it’s that a Busby upset would have opened the floodgates for wild speculation about November 2006. Chaos, not stability, is what prognosticators live for!
We had our historical precedents ready. When the GOP’s Ron Lewis won a special House election for a Democratic seat in Kentucky back in May 1994, it was a massive upset that signaled the Republican landslide to come that November. Some of us old-timers even recalled Democrat Richard Vander Veen, who captured Gerald Ford’s solidly Republican district in Grand Rapids, Michigan in early 1974, after Ford had been elevated to the Vice Presidency. This was an electrifying victory that foreshadowed the Democratic Watergate landslide of November 1974. (Lewis is still serving, by the way, while Vander Veen was a flash in the pan; He won a full term in ’74 but lost reelection in 1976.)
What a difference four percentage points makes! That was Bilbray’s margin over Busby, a gaffe-prone, lackluster candidate who was out of her league. With six years (1995-2001) under his belt from another California House district, former congressman Bilbray understood what it took to win a tough campaign, and riding the immigration issue, he did so. The DCCC forced the NRCC to pull out all the stops and spend a large fortune for Bilbray, but given the dam that might have burst had Busby won, it was worth every GOP penny for them.
So the election of Bilbray, the killing of bloodthirsty terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the non-indictment of Bush uber-adviser Karl Rove, and a splashy secret trip to Baghdad gave President Bush his best week since his second Inauguration. Suddenly, a solid Democratic showing in November appeared less of a sure bet. We’ll see about that, since the sixth year election trends still favor Democrats in the House, Senate, and Governorships overall. Democrats remain likely to pick up seats in all three categories, but fewer analysts today than ten days ago will say definitively that Democrats will take control of either house of Congress.
The contra-CW triumph of Bilbray got the Crystal Ball spinning. Even if there’s a strong trend in one party’s direction in an election, there are always candidates from the losing national party that manage to win some competitive states and districts. Who might these candidates be in 2006?
On our way to answering that question, let’s take a brief detour back twenty years ago, to the 1986 midterm elections. That particular midterm had one of the best examples of the counter-trend we are discussing here.
If you ask most students of elections to summarize the 1986 contests, the first thing–maybe the only thing–they will recall was the dramatic and somewhat unexpected Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate. Going into the election, the GOP had held the Senate since the Reagan landslide of 1980, and they controlled 53 of the 100 seats in 1986. Democrats gained eight seats, net, in November, defeating seven incumbent Republicans (many of them weak freshmen elected on Reagan’s coattails six years earlier). As a consequence, an unusually low 75 percent of Senate incumbents seeking reelection were returned to office. The new Democratic majority guaranteed that President Reagan’s final two years in the White House would be more difficult than his first six.
Yet arguably, there was an equally significant result in November 1986 that has been long forgotten. Just as Democrats gained eight Senate seats in the ’86 midterms, Republicans picked up eight more Governorships–not least Florida and Texas–while holding California. These additions boosted the GOP from a mere 16 governorships to 24, improving their prospects for the critical 1991 redistricting season to come.
Looking back, most of the Republican gains occurred for the two most durable reasons in politics. The GOP simply had better candidates running in some states, such as Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, who defeated Democratic Governor Tony Earl. In other states, such as Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nebraska, and Texas, it was more a matter of Red-state territory reasserting its Red nature after a period of Democratic control. Of course, both factors came into play in a handful of states, including Oklahoma, where the GOP’s Henry Bellmon won, or South Carolina, where Republican Carroll Campbell began his years of dominance. (See the table at the end of this Crystal Ball to refresh your memory about the statehouse winners and losers of 1986.)
These 1986 lessons can be applied to 2006. Let’s look at the statehouse battles unfolding now. Most incumbents are in good to excellent shape, even where their party ID does not fit the state. This includes Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Cailfornia), Jodi Rell (R-Connecticut), Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii), Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kansas), Brad Henry (D-Oklahoma), Jim Douglas (R-Vermont), and Dave Freudenthal (D-Wyoming). Some might contend that Schwarzenegger is still in trouble, but we have a hard time believing that Democratic nominee Phil Angelides will really be much of a threat in the end. Oddly, in the entire nation, only one GOP incumbent is in a toss-up race, Governor Bob Ehrlich of heavily Blue Maryland. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R), while favored, will also have a race on his hands. Many of the eight states with retiring Republican incumbents may fall to the Democrats, though, including New York and Ohio.
To many people’s surprise, the vast majority of the endangered Governors in 2006 are Democrats:
- Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Illinois) is only modestly favored over challenger Judy Baar Topinka (R).
- Gov. John Baldacci (D-Maine) can’t get close to 50 percent in most polls and has drawn a strong Republican challenger–as well as several Independent foes–in a state that has elected Independents to three terms in recent decades.
- Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Michigan) is in a total toss-up with the GOP’s Dick DeVos.
- Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D-Oregon) has never achieved widespread popularity and now is in a very close contest with Republican Ron Saxton, with Independent Ben Westlund potentially drawing a sizeable percentage.
- Gov. Ed Rendell’s (D-Pennsylvania) poll ratings have been on a roller coaster since he assisted a highly unpopular, since-repealed legislative pay hike. He is now leading the GOP’s celebrity nominee, Lynn Swann, but this one is well worth watching.
- Gov. Jim Doyle (D-Wisconsin) has never achieved anything like the popularity of longtime former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R), and he’s in a virtually tied race with GOP Congressman Mark Green.
- Iowa‘s open Democratic governorship is featuring a tight-as-a-tick match-up between Chet Culver (D) and Jim Nussle (R). Retiring Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) has served two terms and may be running for President in 2008–which may hurt Culver more than it helps him. Vilsack failed to get any of his choices nominated for statewide office in the recent Iowa Democratic primary.
Notice that four of these states are in the Midwest, where the regional economy has not kept pace with the improving, basically healthy national economy.
In the Senate races, Democrats are seriously threatening GOP incumbents in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, Missouri, and Rhode Island, with long-shot chances in a few other states such as Arizona, Tennessee and Virginia. But Republicans have opportunities to win a few seats against a possible Democratic tide:
- Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R-Maryland) will not be the favorite against the eventual winner of a crowded Democratic primary, but he has some upset potential under the right set of circumstances (especially if Gov. Ehrlich can win reelection handily and generate some coattails).
- Congressman Mark Kennedy (R-Minnesota) has about an even shot at the Senate seat of retiring one-term Democrat Mark Dayton. His Democratic opponent, Amy Klobuchar, has considerably less campaign and elective office experience, though this could be a Democratic year in Minnesota.
- GOP nominee Pete Ricketts has a strong Republican ticket to ride in Nebraska this year. However, incumbent Sen. Ben Nelson (D) is no easy mark.
- State Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. (R) has one of the best names in New Jersey, and while his defeat of appointed Sen. Bob Menendez (D) would be an upset in this heavily Democratic state, it is a distinct possibility given Gov. Jon Corzine’s unpopularity.
- Republicans at the national level often name Mike McGavick as their most promising GOP Senate challenger in the country. He’s an underdog to freshman Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), but certainly not a heavy underdog.
So there you have it: seven races for Governor and five contests for Senator where Republicans could sail against the wind to victory in November 2006. Almost certainly, at least a few of these GOP candidates will manage to win, and perhaps a sizeable number will. The odds are against another 1986, but in politics, anything is possible.
Table 1. 1986 Gubernatorial Election Results
| State | Candidate | Party | Percentage | Party Control Change? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Guy Hunt | Republican | 56 | Yes |
| William J. Baxley | Democratic | 43 | ||
| Charles A. Graddick | Independent | 1 | ||
| Alaska | Steve Cowper | Democratic | 52 | No |
| Arliss Sturgulewski | Republican | 48 | ||
| Arizona | Evan Mecham | Republican | 40 | Yes |
| Carlyn Warner | Democratic | 34 | ||
| Bill Schulz | Independent | 26 | ||
| Arkansas | Bill Clinton (I) | Democratic | 64 | No |
| Frank D. White | Republican | 36 | ||
| California | George Deukmejian (I) | Republican | 62 | No |
| Tom Bradley | Democratic | 38 | ||
| Colorado | Roy Romer | Democratic | 59 | No |
| Ted L. Strickland | Republican | 41 | ||
| Connecticut | William A. O’Neill (I) | Democratic | 59 | No |
| Julia D. Belaga | Republican | 41 | ||
| Florida | Bob Martinez | Republican | 54 | Yes |
| Steve Pajcic | Democratic | 46 | ||
| Georgia | Joe Frank Harris (I) | Democratic | 70 | No |
| Guy E. Davis, Jr. | Republican | 30 | ||
| Hawaii | John D. Waihee, III | Democratic | 52 | No |
| D.G. Anderson | Republican | 48 | ||
| Idaho | Cecil D. Andrus | Democratic | 50 | No |
| David H. Leroy | Republican | 49 | ||
| Illinois | James R. Thompson, Jr. (I) | Republican | 57 | No |
| Adlai E. Stevenson | Solidarity | 43 | ||
| Iowa | Terry Branstad (I) | Republican | 52 | No |
| Lowell L. Junkins | Democratic | 48 | ||
| Kansas | Mike Hayden | Republican | 52 | Yes |
| Thomas R. Docking | Democratic | 48 | ||
| Maine | John R. McKernan, Jr. | Republican | 40 | Yes |
| James E. Tierney | Democratic | 30 | ||
| Sherry F. Huber | Independent | 15 | ||
| John Menario | Independent | 15 | ||
| Maryland | William D. Schaefer | Democratic | 82 | No |
| Thomas J. Mooney | Republican | 18 | ||
| Massachusetts | Michael S. Dukakis (I) | Democratic | 69 | No |
| George S. Kariotis | Republican | 31 | ||
| Michigan | James J. Blanchard (I) | Democratic | 69 | No |
| William Lucas | Republican | 31 | ||
| Minnesota | Rudy G. Perpich (I) | Democratic | 57 | No |
| Cal R. Ludeman | Republican | 43 | ||
| Nebraska | Kay A. Orr | Republican | 53 | Yes |
| Helen Boosalis | Democratic | 47 | ||
| Nevada | Richard H. Bryan (I) | Democratic | 73 | No |
| Patricia D. Cafferata | Republican | 25 | ||
| New Hampshire | John H. Sununu (I) | Republican | 54 | No |
| Paul McEachern | Democratic | 46 | ||
| New Mexico | Garrey E. Carruthers | Republican | 53 | Yes |
| Ray Powell | Democratic | 47 | ||
| New York | Mario Cuomo (I) | Democratic | 65 | No |
| Andrew P. O’Rourke | Republican | 32 | ||
| Ohio | Richard F. Celeste (I) | Democratic | 61 | No |
| James A. Rhodes | Republican | 39 | ||
| Oklahoma | Henry L. Bellmon | Republican | 51 | Yes |
| David Walters | Democratic | 49 | ||
| Oregon | Neil E. Goldschmidt | Democratic | 53 | Yes |
| Norma Jean Paulus | Republican | 47 | ||
| Pennsylvania | Robert P. Casey | Democratic | 51 | Yes |
| William W. Scranton, III | Republican | 49 | ||
| Rhode Island | Ed DiPrete (I) | Republican | 67 | No |
| Bruce G. Sundlun | Democratic | 33 | ||
| South Carolina | Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. | Republican | 52 | Yes |
| Michael R. Daniel | Democratic | 48 | ||
| South Dakota | George S. Mickelson | Republican | 52 | No |
| R. Lars Herseth | Democratic | 48 | ||
| Tennessee | Ned R. McWherter | Democratic | 54 | Yes |
| Winfield Dunn | Republican | 46 | ||
| Texas | William P. Clements, Jr. | Republican | 53 | Yes |
| Mark White (I) | Democratic | 47 | ||
| Vermont | Madeline M. Kunin (I) | Democratic | 47 | No |
| Peter Smith | Republican | 38 | ||
| Bernard Sanders | Independent | 15 | ||
| Wisconsin | Tommy G. Thompson | Republican | 53 | Yes |
| Anthony S. Earl (I) | Democratic | 47 | ||
| Wyoming | Michael J. Sullivan | Democratic | 54 | No |
| Peter K. Simpson | Republican | 46 |