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| George Bush | Dick Cheney | | | Hillary Clinton | Howard Dean | John McCain | Ralph Nader | | | Make This Your Home Page! |
Three House seats are still being recounted; one race is heading to court; and two more will have runoffs in December. One House race had two different winners on November 7th...
Click for complete House incumbents.
New members of the Senate, House, and Governors, in our VoteMatch format. (The links here include a few permanent excerpts from each newly elected official. The links under Nov. 8th are their campaign websites, which may be removed at any time).
Click for complete Senate races, House incumbents, and Gubernatorial incumbents.
Meet the New Boss: Freshman class in Senate, House, and Governors
Click for complete Senate races, House incumbents, and Gubernatorial incumbents.
We predict: Democrats take House; Republicans retain Senate
OnTheIssues.org and Speakout.com predict that the Republicans will lose their House majority but retain their Senate majority, in both cases by narrow margins.
We base this prediction on the results of our Votematch quizzes and on viewership preferences -- where we see a strong anti-incumbent attitude.
We see the same attitude as in 1994 –- widespread dissatisfaction with Congress, based on an unrealistic policy in Iraq, and moral alienation over Mark Foley.
Dissatisfaction at the current high level translates to poll losses for the party in power.
As in 1994, we believe this has much more to do with anti-incumbency than with any partisan preference -- although the Democratic Party will claim victory, they most assuredly have not earned it.
The primary reason for our House prediction is that all House seats are up for election.
Only 33 Senate seats out of 100 are up for election; if all 100 were up, the Republicans would likely lose the Senate also.
Our specific predictions for all Senate seats likely to change hands follow (with links to our SenateMatch quizzes and our debate coverage):
That gains the Democrats four seats, which is still two shy of a majority. Rep. Cardin and Sen. Menendez have the best chance of going against our prediction, but Sen. DeWine and Mr. Corker might also pull an upset. If an upset combination yields two Democratic seats, we predict that Sen. Lieberman will switch party to Republican, because of the lack of Democratic support for his independent candidacy, and therefore the Republicans will still maintain their Senate majority. Click for our complete set of VoteMatch quizzes or our complete set of Senate debates
Announcing 2006 SenateMatch is now ready for all 33 Senate races! There's one month until the election -- have you decided who to vote for? Our SenateMatch quiz helps you decide which candidate matches your views on the issues. You answer 20 questions; then we match you up to the candidates and incumbents in your state, based on their answers. You can compare your answers in every state with a Senate race, to see who your "Senate advocates" are. We also describe your "political philosophy" based on your answers to our 20 questions. It's fun! Click for complete set of VoteMatch quizzes
Announcing 2006 Senate debates We transcribe and excerpt as many Senate debates as we can find -- the list appears below.
Click for complete set of Senate debates and other archived materials.
Click for excerpts from the DeWine-Brown Senate Debate
On War on Terror:
On Iraq War:
On Partisanship:
Click for more headlines from the Ohio Senate Debate
Click for excerpts from the Webb-Allen Senate Debate
On War on Terror:
On Iraq War:
On Gaffes:
Click for more headlines from the Virginia Senate Debate
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate races September 12th included primaries for U.S. Senate in 8 states. Click below for the primary results and the future general election race.
Click for excerpts from the Casey-Santorum Senate Debate
On War on Terror:
On Iraq War:
On Pres. Bush:
Click for more headlines from the Pennsylvania Senate Debate
Click for excerpts from the Laffey-Chafee Republican Primary Debate
On Immigration:
On Iraq War:
On Stem Cell Research:
Click for more headlines from the Rhode Island Republican Primary Debate
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate races This month includes several primaries for U.S. Senate. Click below for the primary results and the future general election race.
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate races This week we add coverage of the voting records of the incumbents in the U.S. Senate for major votes that took place from February through June 2006. This MAY be the last update before the election, unless we hear from you over the summer that there are important enough votes to warrant another round. Click on the Senate page for any incumbent member of the Senate to see how they voted on each of the issues below.
Click for excerpts from the Lamont-Lieberman Primary July 4: Senator Joe Lieberman said he will circulate petitions to be an independent candidate for re-election. The 7,500 valid signatures are due August 9. The Democratic primary is August 8. If Lieberman wins the Democratic primary [against challenger Ned Lamont], he won't turn in the petition the next day and will run as a Democrat in November. If he loses the primary, he will run as an independent in November. He will continue to be a registered Democrat. July 6: Click for Lieberman's July 6 debate with Ned Lamont for the Connecticut Democratic Senate Primary July 12: Lieberman says he will always be a Democrat, but just in case, he wants his own party line on the Connecticut ballot this fall. The party seems to be single-purpose, since its name is Connecticut for Lieberman. The party will probably end up fifth on the ballot, following Republicans, Democrats, Conerned Citizens and Libertarians, but above candidates with no party designation. While Lieberman continues to run ahead in the polls, Lamont has been gaining ground, and Lieberman, as insurance, filed petitions to run in November as an independent. Lieberman has promised to continue to vote with the Democratic caucus if he wins as an independent -- or as a Connecticut for Lieberman candidate. "I've always been a Democrat, and I'll remain a Democrat," Lieberman said. Aug. 8: Lieberman loses primary; files as independent. Stay tuned for more debates....
Click for more headlines by Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont
Click for the full list of 2006 House incumbents This week we add coverage of the voting records of the incumbents in the U.S. House for major votes that took place from March through June 2006. This MAY be the last update before the election, unless we hear from you over the summer that there are important enough votes to warrant another round. Click on the House page for any incumbent member of the House to see how they voted on each of the issues below.
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate races This month includes many primaries for U.S. Senate. Click below for the primary results and the future general election race.
Click for the full archive of 2008 Speculation Who's running, and who's thinking about running for President? The 2008 election seems to be coming soon, if one reads the news reports. We report some of the speculation here, for potential candidates who are likely to throw their hats into the ring.
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate races This week we begin coverage of the primaries for U.S. Senate in 2006. The primaries that have been decided so far appear below.
Click here for complete text of letter
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush offering "new ways" to resolve the international dispute over Iran's nuclear program, while brushed off by the White House, has achieved one clear result: more positive press coverage than he has ever gotten. With Western powers unable to reach agreement about a United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program, online commentators says Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter promotes the idea that Iran is open to compromise at a time when the rest of the world is divided. The letter, the first written communication between the leaders of the two countries in 27 years, criticizes Bush for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, detainee abuse in U.S.-run facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, and for his support of Israel.
Click for more headlines by George W. Bush
Click here for chief of CIA's issue stances Porter Goss said Saturday that his surprise resignation as CIA director is "just one of those mysteries," offering no other explanation for his sudden departure after almost two years on the job. Although the ex-congressman declined to comment, intelligence sources have told CNN that Goss' resignation on Friday was triggered by differences with National Intelligence Director John Negroponte over plans to move staff, including analysts from the CIA's counterterrorism center, to other intelligence agencies. As for Goss' replacement, President Bush has settled on Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden as his choice, senior administration officials told CNN, and an announcement is planned for Monday.
Click for more headlines by Cabinet members
Click for the full list of 2006 Senate debates This week we add coverage of the first public debates for U.S. Senate in 2006. The Minnesota Senate debates will determine the successor to retiring Sen. Mark Dayton (D,MN). We will provide coverage of all Senate debates on our 2006 Senate debate page. We also add this week some late entries to US Senate races:
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| Tom DeLay resigns: April 4, 2006 | |
Dick Armey, who became House Republican leader when the party gained control in 1994, acknowledges that Republicans have "set the stage for the Democrats." However, he says, Democrats need to offer an alternative rather than just attack. "I think it takes a double-barreled shotgun, and they've only got one barrel."
A Democratic takeover of the Senate seems distant, but [many pundits] now figure it's possible (though not yet likely) that Democrats will gain the 15 seats they need to seize control of the House of Representatives.
Three of the five key ingredients of the 1994 turnaround are in place, including broad public dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, dismal approval ratings for the president and the taint of scandal in Congress. But there are differences, too: The number of competitive House districts is much smaller than 12 years ago, and the opposition party has yet to articulate a unified, positive message.
DeLay says his decision to call it quits helps prevent Democrats from gaining the confluence of forces they need, not to mention reducing the chances that the GOP would lose his Texas seat.
The election is seven months away, and analysts are calculating how 2006 is similar to 1994, and how it's different. Democrats haven't issued their own "Contract with America," although Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California last week unveiled what they called a unified Democratic approach to national security.
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| Dirk Kempthorne nominated as Secretary of Interior: March 17, 2006 | |
Kempthorne's announcement has fueled rumors that Lt. Gov. Jim Risch might run against U.S. Rep. Butch Otter in the Republican primary instead of for re-election. The final date for Risch to file for a run at the governor's position is today.
Mike Petersen, director of the Lands Council of Spokane, said he hopes Kempthorne is more conservation-mined than Gale Norton, who resigned as Interior Secretary this week. He said he recalls that Kempthorne, in his Senate term, generally voted on Republican Party lines which were more for resource development than conservation. But from his own contacts with Kempthorne, Petersen said Kempthorne "listens to all sides without being dogmatic." Petersen said he would ask Kempthorne to return to the conservation days of the early 1900s. "When we think about Teddy Roosevelt, he was a big Republican who created forests and parks," he said. "It's all flip-flopped nowadays."
Carl Pope, director of the Sierra Club, labeled Kempthorne as hostile to environmental issues. "Notably as senator, Kempthorne co-sponsored a bill to take polluters off the hook for millions of tons of lead, zinc and other toxic metals into the Coeur d'Alene River basin -- instead leaving taxpayers with the clean-up bill," Pope said.
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| 2006 House coverage - incumbent voting records : March 11, 2006 | |
This week we add coverage of the voting records of the incumbents in the U.S. House for major votes that took place in late 2005 to early 2006. Click on the page for any incumbent member of the House to see how they voted on each of the issues below.
| OnTheIssues Category | Major House vote on... |
|---|---|
| Abortion | restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions |
| Abortion | allowing human embryonic stem cell research |
| Civil Rights | making the PATRIOT Act permanent |
| Energy & Oil | authorizing construction of new oil refineries |
| Environment | deauthorizing “critical habitat” for endangered species |
| Foreign Policy | deterring foreign arms transfers to China |
| Foreign Policy | reforming the UN by restricting US funding |
| Free Trade | implementing CAFTA, the Central America Free Trade Agreement |
| Government Reform | prohibiting lawsuits about obesity against food providers |
| Gun Control | prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers |
| Health Care | denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay |
| Tax Reform | retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends |
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| 2006 Senate race coverage - final candidate list : March 3, 2006 | |
This week we finalize coverage of candidates for U.S. Senate in 2006. We welcome input from late-entry candidates, or from campaign volunteers who would like to flesh out the issue stances of the candidates listed.
| New Senate challenger
(new coverage begins this week) | Opponent
(Opponent on OnTheIssues.org) |
|---|---|
| Mike Bouchard (R,MI) | Debbie Stabenow (D,MI) |
| Erik R. Fleming (D,MS) | Trent Lott (R,MS) |
| Stephen P. Laffey (R,RI) | Sen. Linc Chafee (R,RI) |
| Zane Lawhorn (R,WV) | Robert C. Byrd (D,WV) |
| Francesca Lobato (R,NM) | Jeff Bingaman (D,NM) |
| Bret McAtee (C,MI) | Debbie Stabenow (D,MI) |
| KT McFarland (R,NY) | Hillary Clinton (D,NY) |
| Eric Mehnert (D,ME) | Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R,ME) |
| David Redick (R,WI) | Herb Kohl (D,WI) |
| Peter Ricketts (R,NE) | Ben Nelson (D,NE) |
| Alan Sandals (D,PA) | Sen. Rick Santorum (R,PA) |
| Carl Lloyd Sheeler (D,RI) | Matt Brown (D,RI) |
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| 2006 Senate race coverage - incumbent voting records : Feb. 27, 2006 | |
This week we add coverage of the voting records of the incumbents in the U.S. Senate for major votes that took place in 2005. Click on the page for any incumbent Senator to see how they voted on each of the issues below.
| OnTheIssues Category | Major Senate vote on... |
|---|---|
| Abortion | $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives |
| Corporations | repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore |
| Corporations | reforming bankruptcy to include means-testing & restrictions |
| Education | shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education |
| Energy & Oil | $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas |
| Energy & Oil | reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%) |
| Energy & Oil | banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge |
| Environment | including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations |
| Free Trade | implementing CAFTA, the Central America free-trade agreement |
| Gun Control | barring lawsuits against gun manufacturers |
| Health Care | negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug |
| Homeland Security | restoring $565M for states' and ports' first responders |
| Homeland Security | restricting business with entities linked to terrorism |
| Jobs | raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25 |
| Principles & Values | confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
| War & Peace | requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding |
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| 2006 Senate race coverage : Feb. 9, 2006 | |
This week we add coverage of third-party candidates and some late-entry challengers for U.S. Senate in 2006.
| New Senate challenger
(new coverage begins this week) | Opponent
(previously covered by OnTheIssues.org) |
|---|---|
| Michael Cavlan (G,MN) | Rep. Mark R. Kennedy (R,MN) |
| Bob Corker (R,TN,) | Bill Frist (R,retiring) |
| John Featherman (L,PA) | Sen. Rick Santorum (R,PA) |
| Darrel Hunter (D,TX) | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R,TX) |
| Scott Jameson (L,TX) | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R,TX) |
| Stan Jones (L,MT) | Sen. Conrad Burns (R,MT) |
| Brad Klippert (R,WA) | Maria Cantwell (D,WA) |
| Rosalind Kurita (D,TN) | Bill Frist (R,retiring) |
| Brian Macdonald (R,MA) | Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D,MA) |
| John Spencer (R,NY) | Hillary Clinton (D,NY) |
| Rae Vogeler (G,WI) | Herb Kohl (D,WI) |
| Kevin Zeese (G/L/P,MD) | Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (R,MD) |
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| President Bush State of the Union Speech : Jan. 31, 2006 | |
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| 2006 Senate race coverage : Jan. 25, 2006 | |
This week we add coverage of the additional challengers for U.S. Senate in 2006.
| New Senate challenger
(new coverage begins this week) | Opponent
(previously covered by OnTheIssues.org) |
|---|---|
| Pete Ashdown (D,UT) | Orrin G. Hatch (R,UT) |
| Keith A. Butler (R,MI) | Debbie Stabenow (D,MI) |
| Ed Cox (R,NY,withdrew) | Hillary Clinton (D,NY) |
| Larry Drown (D,VT) | Rep. Bernie Sanders (I,VT) |
| Dale Groutage (D,WY) | Craig Thomas (R,WY) |
| Gene Kelly (D,TX) | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R,TX) |
| Amy Klobuchar (D,MN) | Rep. Mark R. Kennedy (R,MN) |
| David Kramer (R,NE) | Ben Nelson (D,NE) |
| Hiram Lewis (R,WV) | Robert C. Byrd (D,WV) |
| Mike McGavick (R,WA) | Maria Cantwell (D,WA) |
| Tim Michels (R,WI) | Herb Kohl (D,WI) |
| Harris Miller (D,VA) | George Allen (R,VA) |
| Greg Parke (R,VT) | Rep. Bernie Sanders (I,VT) |
| David Pfeffer (R,NM) | Jeff Bingaman (D,NM) |
| Mike Protack (R,DE) | Tom Carper (D,DE) |
| Barbara Radnofsy (D,TX) | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R,TX) |
| Rick Snuffer (R,WV) | Robert C. Byrd (D,WV) |
| Daniel "The Wig Man" Vovak (R,MD) | Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (R,MD) |
| James Webb (D,VA) | George Allen (R,VA) |
| Jerry Zandstra (R,MI) | Debbie Stabenow (D,MI) |
|
| 2006 Gubernatorial race coverage begins : Jan. 20, 2006 | |
This week we begin coverage of the challengers for Governors in 2006. We begin with the serious challengers in races where the incumbent is retiring. There are 36 races for Governor this year.
| Gubernatorial candidate | Retiring incumbent |
|---|---|
| Rep. Bob Beauprez (R,CO) | Bill Owens (R,CO) |
| Rep. Jim Davis (D,FL) | Jeb Bush (R,FL) |
| Rep. Jim Gibbons (R,NV) | Kenny Guinn (R,NV) |
| Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R,MA) | Mitt Romney (R,MA) |
| Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R,AR) | Mike Huckabee (R,AR) |
| Rep. Jim Nussle (R,IA) | Tom Vilsack (D,IA) |
| Rep. Butch Otter (R,ID) | Dirk Kempthorne(R,ID) |
| Asst. Secy. Deval Patrick (D,MA) | Mitt Romney (R,MA) |
| A.G. Tom Reilly (D,MA) | Mitt Romney (R,MA) |
| Rep. Ted Strickland (D,OH) | Bob Taft (R,OH) |
| Gov. William Weld (R,NY) | George Pataki (R,NY) |
|
| Gore calls for investigation of the President : Jan. 16, 2006 | |
|
| Samuel Alito Senate confirmation hearings open : Jan. 9, 2006 | |
On Oct. 31, 2005, President Bush nominated Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. His Senate confirmation hearings began on Jan. 9, 2006.
|
| 2006 Senate race coverage begins : Jan. 8, 2006 | |
This week we begin coverage of the new challengers for U.S. Senate in 2006. We will cover all 33 races, including third-party candidates. Some 2006 races have candidates who are still in the 'exploratory committee' stage, but many have already declared, although most have not yet come out with official issue stances. The new candidates appear in the left-hand column. Their opponents appear in the right-hand column, with full coverage (either because they're the Senate incumbent or because they're a House incumbent for whom we have voting records). Please check back often and we'll post issue stances as the candidates say 'em!
| New Senate challenger
(new coverage begins this week) | Opponent
(previously covered by OnTheIssues.org) |
|---|---|
| Ford Bell (D,MN) | Rep. Mark R. Kennedy (R,MN) |
| Jean Hay Bright (D,ME) | Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R,ME) |
| Matt Brown (D,RI) | Sen. Linc Chafee (R,RI) |
| Jack Carter (D,NV) | Sen. John Eric Ensign (R,NV) |
| Bob Casey Jr. (D,PA) | Sen. Rick Santorum (R,PA) |
| Paul Hackett (D,OH) | Rep. Sherrod Brown (D,OH) |
| Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R,NJ) | Rep. Robert Menendez (D,NJ) |
| Gene Kelly (D,TX) | Sen.Kay Hutchison(R,TX) |
| Claire McCaskill (D,MO) | Sen. Jim Talent (R,MO) |
| John Morrison (D,MT) | Sen. Conrad Burns (R,MT) |
| Jim Pederson (D,AZ) | Sen. Jon Kyl (R,AZ) |
| Chuck Pennacchio (D,PA) | Sen. Rick Santorum (R,PA) |
| Kevin Scott (R,MA) | Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D,MA) |
| Michael Steele (R,MD) | Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (R,MD) |
| Don Stenberg (R,NE) | Sen. Ben Nelson (D,NE) |
| Jon Tester (D,MT) | Sen. Conrad Burns (R,MT) |
| Patty Wetterling (D,MN) | Sen. Mark Dayton (D,MN) |
| Sheldon Whitehouse (D,RI) | Sen. Linc Chafee (R,RI) |
All Quotations by Issue |
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