Senate Races in 2014
In the past week, there has been no end of discussion about the presidential election results; where the blame should lie, how the GOP should change courses, what to do about 2016. However, there has been very little said yet about the Senate races coming up in 2014. Not all of the following candidates are confirmed to be running again, but take a look at the races coming up in just two years:
Alabama – Jeff Sessions (R)
Alaska – Mark Begich (D)
Arkansas – Mark Pryor (D)
Colorado – Mark Udall (D)
Delaware – Chris Coons (D)
Georgia – Saxby Chambliss (R)
Idaho – Jim Risch (R)
Illinois – Richard Durbin (D)
Iowa – Tom Harkin (D)
Kansas – Pat Roberts (R)
Kentucky – Mitch McConnell (R)
Louisiana – Mary Landrieu (D)
Maine – Susan Collins (R)
Massachusetts – John Kerry (D)
Michigan – Carl Levin (D)
Minnesota – Al Franken (D)
Mississippi – Thad Cochran (R)
Montana – Max Baucus (D)
Nebraska – Mike Johanns (R)
New Hampshire – Jeanne Shaheen (D)
New Jersey – Frank Lautenberg (D)
New Mexico – Tom Udall (D)
North Carolina – Kay Hagan (D)
Oklahoma – Jim Inhofe (R)
Oregon – Jeff Merkley (D)
Rhode Island – Jack Reed (D)
South Carolina – Lindsey Graham (R)
South Dakota – Tim Johnson (D)
Tennessee – Lamar Alexander (R)
Texas – John Cornyn (R)
Virginia – Mark Warner (D)
West Virginia – Jay Rockefeller (D)
Wyoming – Mike Enzi (R)
And this analysis from the Washington Post may cheer some disheartened Republicans who will be looking for a mid-term win. The Republicans have only 13 of the 33 seats on the ballot, a huge opportunity for a swing. And just imagine tossing “Senator Smalley” Al Franken. Wait, I need a moment to wipe the grin off my face and compose myself again…
A few things to note before getting extremely giddy, though.
- In 2012 the Republicans in the House lost only 9 seats. Gerrymandering can make it easier to hold seats, but the Senate, as we just saw, doesn’t work that way. Potential candidates had better be out there now, taking the pulse of the people in these states and figuring out the best way to win. Primary season is one year away.
- General elections are a whole different animal from primary elections. The primary should be focused, first and foremost, on finding the right candidate to win the general election. It’s a job interview, and the measure of performance should be whether the candidate is equipped to deliver the seat to your party.
- There are a lot of lessons in the 2012 Senate races. Potential candidates looking to run in 2014 had better be able to handle the pressure, the campaign mechanics, AND the media. Candidates, I am begging you, go get help NOW mastering interviews and debates. Find a coach that will ask you more difficult questions than fans and supporters. The media will not help you. Learn that now, and be prepared to face them.
- Finally there’s this small bit of cheer – off-year elections tend more to bring the die-hard voters out than the casual voters, and that is a far easier hurdle to jump than conservatives had in 2012.
See, the outlook isn’t all bad after all.
