Attorney Ann McLane Kuster (D) did this year what she could not do in 2010: She defeated Rep. Charles Bass (R).
Kuster was up over Bass by a 9-point margin at the time the Associated Press called the race.
The pair faced off in 2010, with Bass winning a squeaker. Kuster began her 2012 campaign almost immediately after that race wrapped up.
Of the two New Hampshire House seats, this was always considered the more likely Democratic pickup. Much rode on the presidential campaign here, and President Barack Obama carried the state again.
The race for New Hampshire’s 1st is another 2010 rematch. That contest between Rep. Frank Guinta (R) and former Rep. Carol Shea Porter (D) remains too close to call.
House Democrats cut more than $1 million in television time in the Philadelphia market today in addition to eliminating major reservations in Boston and Chicago, according to a Democrat who tracks media buys.
The Philadelphia cancellation for Oct. 25-29 isn’t good news for two Democratic challengers running in districts covered by that pricey television market: Pennsylvania’s 8th district and New Jersey’s 3rd district.
Thanks to a slew of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC ads, Ad Track has been fairly Democratic-heavy. But today, the National Republican Congressional Committee returned the favor with a burst of new spots.
Iowa’s 2nd
Add Rep. Dave Loebsack (D) to the category of victims of the idiot doppelganger.
A common theme over the last month or so has been to illustrate a criticism of one’s opponent with an actor portraying the candidate in an unflattering light. In a new NRCC ad, he is portrayed as sleeping on the job. Loebsack faces a challenge from Republican attorney John Archer.
And a Republican operative explained a DCCC ad in New Hampshire’s 2nd district that was initially puzzling. That DCCC spot sought to tie Rep. Charles Bass (R) to various prominent Republicans. But one face in the parade of conservative notables was freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R). It is hard to believe that many New Hampshire voters would know who Cravaack is, let alone have a visceral distaste for him.
So why Cravaack? Like Bass, Cravaack is vulnerable, and the DCCC has hammered Cravaack over the last year over the fact that his wife and children relocated to New Hampshire.
Former Rep. Rick Nolan (D) is challenging Cravaack in Minnesota’s 8th, while Kuster is running against Bass. Roll Call rates both races as Tossup.
Illinois’ 8th
Forget vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan and his budget, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) or President Barack Obama. The NRCC has a new spot that ties veteran Tammy Duckworth (D) to one of the lowest figures in American politics — incarcerated former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Duckworth is challenging Rep. Joe Walsh (R).
Utah’s 4th
Another new NRCC ad does something rarely seen from Republicans — it rails on Rep. Jim Matheson (D) for at one time supporting the privatization of Social Security. Former President George W. Bush unsuccessfully pushed that policy in his second term. Republican Mia Love is challenging Matheson for this seat.
A little over a month out from Election Day, television ads are increasingly negative. Over the weekend, Democrats and Republicans alike used tracker video, humor and even Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) to hammer away at the opposition.
Massachusetts’ 6th
A new ad from former state Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R) against Rep. John Tierney (D) essentially gives voters in the Democratic district permission to cross the ballot because of Tierney’s ongoing ethical issues. The ad assumes the viewer knows Tierney’s problems; it is part of a $600,000 buy over 15 days in the heavily saturated Boston media market. It debuted before Sunday’s New England Patriots-Buffalo Bills game.
New York’s 24th
Former Rep. Dan Maffei (D) is up with an ad tying Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle to Akin, who became a national figure with his “legitimate rape” comment. It is reasonable to assume that Akin will probably surface in other Democratic advertisements. The Maffei campaign did not immediately respond to a query on the buy information behind this advertisement.
A newly surfaced tracker video shows attorney Ann McLane Kuster (D) verbally and physically engaging with a staffer to the campaign of her rival for New Hampshire’s 2nd district, Rep. Charles Bass (R).
As has been increasingly common in recent cycles, the context of the video is an annoyed Congressional candidate and a persistent videographer. For 30 seconds, Kuster and the videographer tussle over the camera, and the clip concludes with Kuster saying, “Eff him.”
The video first surfaced Tuesday on the New Hampshire Journal, a conservative website. The incident took place on Friday in Concord at an event with Vice President Joseph Biden.
The New Hampshire Union Leader confirmed that the tracker was Bryan Klepacki, a staffer for the Bass campaign. Kuster campaign manager Garrick Delzell described Klepacki as an “aggressive tracker.” He said there were several minutes in which Klepacki had pestered Kuster leading up to that point in the video.
Nasty, negative television ads with grainy, unflattering, black-and-white images and ominous music seem to be falling out of fashion this cycle.
Instead, the velvet glove is the preferred weapon. Campaigns and third-party groups are more inclined of late to make spots that stand out rather than blend in.
Kansas is now the only state in the country with an outstanding redistricting map.
New Hampshire’s new map became law on Monday when Gov. John Lynch (D) signed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Reps. Charles Bass and Frank Guinta ultimately agreed to the map after some earlier tension over moving voters between the two districts. Both Congressmen are being targeted by Democrats in an effort to defeat them this cycle.
Crowing campaigns are beginning to leak their first-quarter fundraising numbers. Generally, any campaign releasing its fundraising numbers this early is happy with its totals. Reports must be postmarked by midnight Sunday.
Mo. Senate: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) raised $2.3 million and has about $6 million in cash on hand.
Wis. Senate: Former Rep. Mark Neumann (R) raised $650,000. Although his campaign did not release cash on hand, the campaign noted that none of the money came “from Neumann himself.” Full story
Updated 6:23 p.m. | New Hampshire might finally be moving toward a redistricting map, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
State lawmakers had delegated the map drawing to the state’s two Members, Reps. Charles Bass and Frank Guinta. Both men are Republicans and had been at odds over the state’s single Congressional line.
“This plan, we’re told, helps Bass somewhat while preserving Guinta’s slight lean-GOP district,” the Union Leader reported. “It gives the 1st District swing towns that slightly lean GOP in exchange for swing towns that generally lean a little more heavily to the GOP.”
The New Hampshire House's redistricting committee backs a map that favors Rep. Frank Guinta. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is finally beginning to move ahead with the state’s redistricting, according to a New Hampshire Union Leader report.
The state House committee that oversees redistricting recommended a plan that “effectively sided with U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta over U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass in their redistricting feud,” according to the Union Leader.
During our lunch hour, the Roll Call politics team scoured fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission and press releases that landed in our inboxes. Here’s our roundup of the winners and losers, as well as some noteworthy reports on this year-end filing day:
IN-05: On the morning of Rep. Dan Burton’s (R-Ind.) retirement announcement, former U.S. attorney Susan Brooks reported raising $107,500 and had $325,000 in the bank. Her chief competition for the GOP nod, former Rep. David McIntosh, has not filed his report yet. But Brooks brought in much more than the other Republicans who lined up to challenge Burton. She also has a head start on state Sen. Mike Delph, a former Burton aide, if he jumps into the race before the Feb. 10 filing deadline. (via @shiratoeplitz) Full story
