2015 Campaign

Members should sign in for the full experience.

The E.U. Is Voting

June 7, 2024 at 5:51 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Hundreds of millions of voters across 27 nations will turn out this weekend to cast their ballots, but the European Parliament is the least powerful of the European Union institutions. It is often derided as a talking shop. Its 720 members have limited powers, and, while a few are ascendant stars, a few are retired politicians, or even criminals.”

“But, the European Union has never been more important in delivering tangible benefits to its citizens, or to the world in being a force for stability and prosperity, since its inception as an economic alliance nearly seven decades ago. The Parliament that emerges from these elections, weak though it may be, will serve as a brake or accelerator for the crucial policies that will help shape Europe’s immediate future.”

Giuiliani Says Trump Won’t Talk About Obstruction

July 24, 2018 at 12:35 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rudy Giuliani told Bloomberg that he’s told special counsel Robert Mueller that President Trump would agree to an interview if questions were focused only on whether his campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presdiential election.

Giuliani added that he would not agree to an interview that focused on obstruction of justice.

Democrats See Senate Majority Slipping Away

September 7, 2016 at 10:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The campaign chairman for Senate Democrats on Wednesday warned his colleagues that if the elections were held today, the party would gain only three Senate seats,” The Hill reports.

“That outcome would leave Democrats one seat short of the majority, should the party’s presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, win the White House.”

New York Times: Souring on Trump, GOP pours money into Senate races

Trump Keeps National Lead

February 26, 2016 at 5:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

A new NBC News/Survey Monkey poll finds Donald Trump continues to lead the GOP field nationally with 39%, followed by Marco Rubio at 21%, Ted Cruz at 19%, Ben Carson at 8% and John Kasich at 8%.

In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders, 52% to 41%.

108 Officials Faced Recall in 2015

December 30, 2015 at 2:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Joshua Spivak notes that 108 officials faced recalls in the United States in 2015 with 65 ousted in a vote, 15 resigning.

How John Bel Edwards Won an Improbable Race

November 30, 2015 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

The Baton Rouge Advocate looks at how Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards (D) unexpectedly prevailed in the Louisiana governor’s race.

“Edwards needed some luck. Lots of luck, in fact. To make the runoff, he had to be the only Democratic candidate. That happened: Bigger names passed up the race because they thought it was unwinnable.”

“And he needed Vitter to emerge from the primary wounded. That happened, too, thanks to a savage war among the Republican candidates, initiated by Vitter, and attacks from an anti-Vitter group.”

Louisiana Proves that Candidates Matter

November 23, 2015 at 8:43 am EST By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

Washington Post: “Political scientists love to talk about fundamentals and concoct formulas to predict how races will turn out. But a bad candidate undermines that. Vitter was a bad candidate. Massachusetts is as blue as Louisiana is red, but Democrat Martha Coakley lost a Senate race to Scott Brown in 2010 and a governor’s race to Charlie Baker in 2014 because she is a terrible retail politician. In Kentucky, Jack Conway started as the frontrunner and blew totally winnable races against Rand Paul in 2010 and Matt Bevin in 2015. In both cases, the attorney general tried to make the race about his opponent’s flaws, and it backfired.”

Edwards Wins in Louisiana

November 21, 2015 at 10:56 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 120 Comments

John Bel Edwards (D) defeated Sen. David Vitter (R) in the race for Louisiana governor, the New Orleans Times Picayune reports.

Baton Rouge Advocate: “Voters’ rejection of Vitter was a stunning turn of events for the U.S. senator, who has been a political powerhouse in the state for years and started his campaign nearly two years ago as the race’s front-runner.”

Vitter surprised supporters with an announcement that he would not run for re-election to the Senate next year: “I’ve reached my personal term limit.”

Did Jindal Quit Campaign to Sink Vitter?

November 21, 2015 at 1:35 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

“In Louisiana, it’s an open secret that Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) concluded a years-long blood feud with Vitter by ending his presidential campaign on Tuesday,” the Washington Post reports.

Said political reporter Julia O’Donoghue: “You can’t get anyone to admit it, but it’s what everyone thinks. We spent two days talking about refugees and then two days talking about Jindal. Those first two days were the only ones in the runoff when John Bel Edwards was on defense.”

Edwards Holds Big Lead in Louisiana

November 21, 2015 at 8:59 am EST By Taegan Goddard 50 Comments

The final Market Research Insight poll in Louisiana before today’s runoff for governor shows John Bel Edwards (D) solidly ahead of Sen. David Vitter (R), 52% to 40%.

Jindal Won’t Say Who He Voted For

November 18, 2015 at 4:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) “took advantage of early voting last week and have already cast the ballots in the Louisiana governor’s race. But Jindal won’t say who he supported,” the New Orleans Times Picayune reports.

“Jindal had announced last week he wouldn’t be endorsing Vitter in the runoff, but now he won’t even tell the public if he voted for his fellow Republican. Jindal and Vitter famously don’t get along. Jindal didn’t endorse Vitter in the 2010 U.S. Senate race either.”

Vitter Falls Way Behind in Louisiana

November 17, 2015 at 12:52 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

A new JMC Analytics survey in Louisiana finds John Bel Edwards (D) leading Sen. David Vitter (R) in the race for governor, 51% to 35%, with 13% undecided.

Vitter Turns Race to Terrorism

November 17, 2015 at 9:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 66 Comments

In an attempt to save his struggling campaign for Louisiana governor, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) released a new ad that tries to make the election about terrorism.

David Weigel: “His closing argument depends on making Democratic nominee John Bel Edwards, a state representative who responded cautiously to the refugee aspect of the crisis, into a refugee-hugging accomplice of President Obama.”

Money Pours Into Louisiana Governor’s Race

November 14, 2015 at 12:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“Even in a state that traditionally spends a lot to elect a governor, this year’s campaign already has churned through a phenomenal amount of money and probably will end up being the most expensive in Louisiana history,” the Baton Rouge Advocate reports.

“The candidates — and the super PACs that support them — spent almost $31 million through Nov. 1, according to disclosures filed with the Louisiana Board of Ethics. The most expensive gubernatorial race on record was the 2007 election, in which the four major candidates spent about $32 million.”

“This year’s total doesn’t include any of the money state Rep. John Bel Edwards, the Democratic candidate, and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, spent over the past two weeks.”

Vitter Still Way Behind in Louisiana

November 12, 2015 at 11:26 am EST By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

A new Market Research Insight poll in Louisiana finds John Bel Edwards (D) leading Sen. David Vitter (R) in the race for governor by a wide margin, 52% to 38%.

A University of New Orleans poll finds Edwards leading Vitter, 56% to 34%.

Turnout In Louisiana Expected to Rise

November 12, 2015 at 8:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

“Louisiana is half-way into early voting in the runoff race for governor, and voter turnout appears to be outpacing the early vote in the Oct. 24 primary,” the Baton Rouge Advocate reports.

“John Couvillion of JMC Analytics has reviewed the figures and says in a new blog post that voter turnout could be 45 to 50 percent in the Nov. 21 runoff election. Voter turnout in the primary was just 39 percent.”

Quote of the Day

November 11, 2015 at 7:29 am EST By Taegan Goddard 113 Comments

“You’re a liar, and you’re a cheater.”

— John Bel Edwards (D), quoted by the New Orleans Times Picayune, in a gubernatorial debate with Sen. David Vitter (R).

Re-Election Doesn’t Look Good for Vitter

November 10, 2015 at 2:44 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

If Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) loses the race for Louisiana governor next week, “there is buzz among Republicans in Louisiana and Washington that he would not run for reelection to the Senate in 2016,” the Washington Post reports.

“A loss in the gubernatorial contest would open him up to a serious GOP challenger, and it would be much harder to hit up the donors who have spent this year funding his campaign. Vitter only had $26,216 in his federal campaign account at the end of September.”