Commentary By J. Miles Coleman

2020’s Crossover Districts By J. Miles Coleman

Only a handful of House Democrats and Republicans represent turf won by the other party’s presidential nominee.

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— 16 members of the House hold districts that voted for the other party’s presidential nominee in 2020.

— Many Biden-district Republicans are from racially diverse areas, and they often came out on the winning end of rematches.

— Democrats held several Trump seats in both blue collar and suburban areas.

— Overall, the trend of ticket-splitting is on the decline — just a decade ago, it was common to see dozens of crossover districts.

2022 Senate Races: Initial Ratings By J. Miles Coleman

On a potentially limited playing field, both parties look to expand past their current 50 seats.

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— Republicans will be defending more Senate seats than Democrats in 2022, but both sides have some potential pickup opportunities — though a large gain for either party seems unlikely.

— Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) would have been an overwhelming favorite to win a third term, but even with his retirement, Ohio’s rightward lean makes it an uphill climb for Democrats.

— Democrats’ clearest path to gaining seats runs primarily though the Rust Belt, as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin seem to be their top offensive races, though they may finally get lucky in North Carolina.

— We rate four states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire — as Leans Democratic, and these seem to be the most obvious GOP targets.

— There will likely be more retirements this cycle, but they probably won’t change the fundamental picture.

Georgia Senate Runoffs: Breaking Down November, Looking to January By J. Miles Coleman and Niles Francis

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— In a highly unusual situation, both of Georgia’s Senate seats will be on the ballot next month — one seat was already scheduled to be elected, while the other is a special election.

— As January’s result will decide control of the Senate, both sides are invested in Georgia’s outcome.

— In the regular election, Democrat Jon Ossoff made some gains in the suburbs since he was last on the ballot, but to beat Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), he’ll likely have to do even better.

— The battle for the state’s other seat is a bitter contest between appointed incumbent Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat and a preacher.

— Though it would add an extra layer of chaos to the outcome, history — and data from November — seems to point away from a split outcome.

States of Play: North Carolina By J. Miles Coleman and Bennett Stillerman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— After President Obama’s narrow win there in 2008, light red North Carolina has proved elusive for Democrats — but it remains a target for both sides.

— North Carolina’s politics are increasingly shaped by its growing bloc of unaffiliated voters.

— Over the past decade, North Carolina’s traditional east-west divide has evolved into more of an urban-rural split — a pattern seen in many other states.

— In a state known for volatile Senate races, 2020’s contest should be true to form,  and further down the ballot, voters will weigh in on several statewide races.

States of Play: Wisconsin By J. Miles Coleman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— Even without the optics that come from hosting the Democratic National Convention, Wisconsin will be a crucial state this fall.

— Joe Biden’s apparent strength with older voters may buoy him in rural parts of the state, though Donald Trump also may have some room to improve even after his tremendous rural showings four years ago.

— Aside from the presidential contest, the state will see few competitive major races.

States of Play: Georgia By J. Miles Coleman and Niles Francis

Once-dominant Democrats need formerly Republican suburbs to come through for them in 2020.

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— Over the last few decades, Georgia has gone from a swing state to reliably GOP. But it’s now looking like a genuinely competitive state again.

— Democrats have made major inroads in both urban Atlanta and its suburbs, but their gains have been somewhat blunted by the sharp Republican trend in other parts of the state.

— In the state’s regular Senate election this year, we’re downgrading Sen. David Perdue’s chances. We now have both Georgia’s seats rated as Leans Republican.

Republican Presidential Primary Turnout: Trump vs Bush By J. Miles Coleman

Early in the primary season, Republican pollster John Couvillon noted that President Trump’s "unshakable" rapport with the Republican Party’s base may be leading GOP partisans to do something unusual historically: turn out in uncontested primaries.

Turnout in the 2020 Democratic Primary: Some Clues for the Fall By J. Miles Coleman

In the primary, blue-trending areas see higher turnout, power Joe Biden's strength; erosion for Democrats continues in some rural areas in the South.

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— With very few exceptions, statewide turnout in the 2020 Democratic primary has been higher than 2016.

— Suburban areas have seen some of the sharpest turnout increases — though these areas tend to have higher population growth, they’ve also trended blue in general elections, perhaps a positive indicator for Democrats looking to the fall.

— Meanwhile, some rural areas that have been trending away from Democrats in places like North Carolina and Oklahoma saw turnout lag behind 2016.

— While Bernie Sanders seems to have a stronger opponent in Joe Biden than he did with Hillary Clinton, Sanders’ prospects may have been hurt by partisan realignment since 2016.

The Electoral College: Maine and Nebraska’s Crucial Battleground Votes By J. Miles Coleman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— Nationalization has pushed urban and rural areas apart; Maine and Nebraska are no exceptions to this trend, and their unique electoral vote allocation systems are highlighting that division.

— The Omaha-based NE-2 supported Republicans in the past two presidential elections, but by decreasing margins, and could feasibly vote blue in 2020.

— Maine’s two districts, once political mirror images of each other, have drifted steadily apart. The Crystal Ball sees Donald Trump as a favorite to carry ME-2 again, though Democrats should retain the state’s other three electoral votes.

— In a close national election, Maine and Nebraska’s respective second districts could provide potentially decisive electoral votes.

Louisiana 2019: Welcome to the Jungle (Primary) By J. Miles Coleman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) defied the partisan lean of his state in 2015, but he will have to navigate an increasingly partisan electorate to win again. He’ll need Republican support, but he also must energize black voters.

— Louisiana’s unique jungle primary has shaped the contours of state elections for nearly 50 years and will be a key feature of the 2019 election.

— Regionalism has always been salient in Louisiana politics, and it should be a decisive factor in which Republican candidate makes a potential runoff with Edwards: Rep. Ralph Abraham (R, LA-5) or businessman Eddie Rispone (R).

2018 Senate: How the “Trump Ten” Races Compared to 2016 By J. Miles Coleman

Heading into the 2018 cycle, Democrats seemed to have many advantages, as the out-party typically does in midterm years. However, one factor that was decidedly slanted against them was the Senate map. A majority of the Democratic caucus — 26 of 49 members — faced the electorate. Further, 10 Democratic incumbents on the ballot represented states that President Trump carried in 2016. In many cases, to win reelection, these senators had to perform significantly better than Hillary Clinton did two years ago.