Colorado: State Party Chairmen React to Bennet DSCC Announcement

Sen. Michael Bennet is the new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democrats reacted favorably Tuesday to news that Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado will lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2014 cycle. But Republicans were quick to criticize the DSCC’s new chairman.

“Unfortunately, Sen. Bennet’s decision to head the DSCC proves that his priorities now lie outside of Colorado and with the special interests of Washington, D.C.,” Colorado GOP Chairman Ryan Call wrote in a statement. “Sen. Bennet’s new role as head of the DSCC misplaces his priorities and obligations to the people of Colorado,” he added. Call also noted that Bennet’s 2010 campaign was focused on distancing himself from the image of a Washington insider.

Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio issued a crowing statement on Bennet’s new job.

“As Tea Party groups prepare to take over Senate seats in 2014, the American people will discover what Coloradans already know — voices for mainstream values can win out over shrill partisanship,” Palacio wrote. Like Call’s statement, the Palacio comment returns to  2010 campaign themes — in Bennet’s race, the Democrats used terms such as “extreme” in television advertisements to successfully tie his opponent to the tea party.

Sen. Bennet Named DSCC Chairman

Bennet will be the new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Update, 1:30 p.m. | Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet will chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2014 cycle, as Democrats look to hold their newly expanded majority.

“Michael is one of the brightest rising stars in the Democratic Party, and he is exactly the right person to lead our efforts over the next two years,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement Tuesday. “Not only does Michael know how to win tough races, he has the trust and loyalty of the entire Democratic caucus behind him.”

Bennet, who turned down the job two years ago, was the top choice, and Reid was expected to inform Senate Democrats of the decision Tuesday during the party’s weekly lunch. Full story

Montana: Jon Tester Hangs On, Democrats Expand Majority

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 11:23 a.m. | The Associated Press this morning declared Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) the winner of his re-election race against Rep. Denny Rehberg (R).

The win means Democrats are guaranteed to have a larger majority in the Senate next year, with at least 54 seats. The open-seat race in North Dakota has still not been called, but Democrat Heidi Heitkamp is currently leading by nearly 3,000 votes over Republican Rep. Rick Berg. If Heitkamp wins, Democrats would have their majority expanded by two seats.

“Jon Tester knows his state like the back of his hand, and he is exactly the type of quality leader we need in the US Senate,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (Wash.) said in a statement. “Montanans saw right through the millions in attack ads from Karl Rove and others.”

With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Tester led Rehberg by about 18,000 votes. Montanans also had a third choice in the race. Libertarian candidate Dan Cox took more than 6 percent of the vote, much of that likely from voters who otherwise would have supported Rehberg.

Update:

“Senator Tester and I share an abiding love for Montana and America, a value which transcends political party or disagreements on matters of policy,” Rehberg said in a statement. “I congratulate Jon on his victory in this hard-fought campaign.”

Senate Update: Democrats Retain Majority

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call)

Updated 12:37 a.m. | As Election Day folded into Nov. 7, the only question remaining in the fight for the Senate was the size of the Democratic majority.

Democrats were looking at a net gain of two seats, with just two Democratic-held seats and one Republican seat left to be called. That meant the Democratic majority could be no lower than 53-47, exactly where it was at the beginning of the cycle.

“When we started this campaign, no one, and I mean no one gave us a chance.  But we went out and built the best Senate campaigns in the history of the country,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (Wash.) said in a statement. “We recruited some of the highest quality candidates, including a record number of women. Democrats never let up, and now we will retain our majority in the United States Senate.”

The Associated Press called the Wisconsin Senate race after midnight, with Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) topping former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) for the seat of retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D). That left two Democratic-held seats yet to be called: in Montana, where Sen. Jon Tester (D) faced Rep. Denny Rehberg (R), and in North Dakota, where former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) faced Rep. Rick Berg (R) for the seat of retiring Sen. Kent Conrad (D).

Nevada Sen. Dean Heller (R) was looking to hold on against Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), even as President Barack Obama carried the state.

Updated 11:25 p.m. | Democrats will retain control of the Senate.

Tim Kaine’s (D) victory in Virginia and Sen. Claire McCaskill’s (D-Mo.) re-election took two more pickup opportunities off the map for Republicans and left the GOP without enough states left to complete its quest for the majority.

With the presidential contest now called for President Barack Obama, Democrats would control the Senate even in the event of a 50-50 tie, as Vice President Joseph Biden would cast the deciding vote. Full story

DSCC Outraises NRSC in Pre-General Fundraising Period

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee outraised its Republican counterpart by some $1.3 million in the first two and a half weeks of October.

According to pre-general reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, the DSCC raised $7.3 million Oct. 1-17. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $6 million during the same period, including about $800,000 from a joint fundraising committee with GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

The DSCC has not received any money from joint fundraising committees with Obama for America or the Democratic National Committee.

Both parties are pushing for a majority in the Senate, which Democrats currently control 53-47.

Indiana: DSCC Ad Hits Richard Mourdock on Controversial Comments

Updated 6:18 p.m. | The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today released a hard-hitting response ad to Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s controversial comment that pregnancies resulting from rape are “something that God intended to happen.”

The committee is spending $1.1 million to air the ad through Election Day.

The spot reminds viewers of the comment and also shows statements indicating that Republicans Mitt Romney and gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mike Pence distanced themselves from the remark.

But the toughest part of the ad is that it splices together Mourdock’s comments on rape with an older clip in which Mourdock says, “To me, the highlight of politics, frankly, is to inflict my opinion on someone else.”

Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.

Updated 6:18 p.m.

Mourdock’s campaign charged that Donnelly broke a rule that forbids the use of debate footage in television commercials. The footage is copywrited by the state’s debate commission, according to a Mourdock aide.

“Hoosiers are calling Joe Donnelly’s attacks sleazy, and it’s no wonder why,” Mourdock spokesman Brose McVey said. “Now Donnelly and his liberal Washington allies are attacking Richard Mourdock’s faith and beliefs.”

Shira Toeplitz contributed to this report. 

NRSC Raised $12.9 Million in September

The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $12.9 million last month, the committee announced today.

That strong monthly haul is about $2.7 million less than its Democratic counterpart, which announced bringing in $15.6 million in September. The NRSC raised a total of $25 million in the third quarter, and ended September with $23.1 million in cash on hand.

Republicans have an opportunity to win a majority in the Senate, which Democrats currently control 53-47.

DSCC Raises $15.6M in September

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised a whopping $15.6 million in September, a massive sum that elevated the committee to its best third-quarter haul ever.

In a final push to hold the party’s 53-47 Senate majority, the DSCC’s fundraising last month equaled about twice as much as it raised in the previous two months combined and boosted its third-quarter total to $29.2 million. The committee had $27 million in cash on hand left at the end of September.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not yet released its September fundraising.

Connecticut: DSCC Makes Another Buy

Rep. Christopher Murphy talks with a school group on the West Front of the Capitol. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is making an additional $650,000 purchase of Connecticut advertising time in support of Rep. Christopher Murphy’s (D) open-seat Senate race against former WWE CEO Linda McMahon (R).

The new buy lasts from Oct. 16 through Oct. 22 and will be on broadcast and cable. This builds on the DSCC’s independent expenditure arm’s previous $2.1 million investment in this race, according to a source who tracks Connecticut Senate media buys. Also per this source, the Democratic group Majority PAC has spent $1.1 million.

The ad spending in this race is unlike any other Senate race in the country. Because McMahon is able to self-fund her television advertising to levels that include saturating the expensive New York City media market that covers a significant portion of the Nutmeg State, national Republicans are on the offense here without having to invest a dime.

Democrats have yet to match McMahon on New York broadcast television, although they have been on the air on New York cable. This is among the reasons McMahon has made this contest competitive despite the Democratic lean of the state.

Virginia: NRSC Launches First IE Ad in Senate Race

The National Republican Senatorial Committee kicked off its independent expenditure spending in Virginia today by launching a television ad that criticizes former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) for supporting increased federal spending.

Maine: Americans Elect, DSCC Spending Heavily on Senate Race

Outside groups have bought TV time in Maine to help boost former Gov. Angus King. (Joshua Miller/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Christmas has come early for TV stations in Maine. Two outside groups have put in big money to help independent Senate candidate Angus King, the frontrunner in the race who has seen his lead slipping in recent weeks.

Americans Elect, the third-party group that tried and failed to get an independent, nonpartisan presidential candidate on the ballot this year, bought a substantial chunk of television time in support of King. Their ad began airing today and a source familiar with TV buys in the state said it was backed by about $500,000 through Oct. 25.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also reserved $1.7 million in television time from Oct. 9 through Nov. 5, the source said. That reservation is presumably to knock Republican nominee Charlie Summers, the Maine secretary of state. The DSCC first bought time in the state last month. Full story

Arizona: NRSC Buys Ad Space in Senate Race

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has purchased one week’s worth of statewide advertising for about $550,000 in Arizona to support the campaign of Rep. Jeff Flake (R). Recent polls have shown a narrowing margin between the Congressman and his Democratic rival, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

Full story

Maine: DSCC Moves in With Ad Buy

National Democrats have bought TV time in Maine, ostensibly to help boost former Gov. Angus King, an Independent. (Joshua Miller/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has bought $410,000 worth of television time in Maine, where a political triangle in the Senate race has created an unpredictable dynamic.

The DSCC ad was not immediately available, but the committee is likely to use the Oct. 2-12 buy to directly target Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers (R), who has been climbing in the polls in the race for the seat of retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe (R). The DSCC ad is not expected to mention either former Gov. Angus King (I), who is expected to caucus with Democrats, or state Sen. Cynthia Dill, the Democratic nominee. King is the frontrunner but has seen his lead shrink in the past few weeks as the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have spent money on advertising. Full story

Indiana: New Independent Poll Shows Tied Senate Race

A new poll showed Rep. Joe Donnelly ahead of Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock by 2 points. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) led state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) by 2 points  — a stastical dead heat — in a new bipartisan poll of the Indiana Senate race released today.

Donnelly led Mourdock 40 percent to 38 percent in the Howey/DePauw University Indiana Battleground Poll. Libertarian candidate Andrew Horning received 7 percent in the survey.

The results mirror several Democratic internal polls released over the past several months. Sensing an opportunity, Democratic groups spent heavily to boost Donnelly’s campaign over the summer. Full story

Virginia: DSCC Launches First Ad in Senate Race

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is making its first foray into the Virginia Senate race with an ad accusing Republican George Allen of supporting the privatization of Social Security.

The ad, launched today, is part of the committee’s $8 million reservation of TV time in the state on behalf of Democrat Tim Kaine. Kaine has also received significant support from the Democratic-aligned Majority PAC.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not yet made any independent expenditures in the state but has reserved about $5.5 million of TV time. Republican-aligned groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS have spent significant resources to help Allen.

Allen also released a TV ad today featuring a 60-second testimonial from the mother of a Marine killed in Iraq.

The Tossup race between the two former governors is likely to go down to the wire in one of the top presidential and Senate battleground states.