The
2014 campaign is entering its final stretch. Each day until voters go
to the polls on Nov. 4, USA TODAY will bring you what you need to know
about the coming midterm elections. Here's what the buzz is for Thursday
with 12 days to go:
Gardner opens up lead
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows Republican Cory
Gardner has gained ground on Democratic Senator Mark Udall since
September.
VPCOne candidate may be pulling away in a race that's pivotal in the battle for control of the Senate. In a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll in Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner has built a 7-point lead over Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.
In our Election Outlook, we've moved our projection from Tossup to Lean Republican.
A win by Gardner in the Centennial State would be redemption of sorts
for Republicans, who failed to knock off Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet
in 2010 in what was viewed as a winnable race in a very favorable
political climate for Republicans.
Debate in South Dakota
A race that was thought to be a near-guaranteed pickup for the Republicans is getting interesting. On Thursday night, the four candidates for the state's open U.S. Senate race — Republican Mike Rounds, Democrat Rick Weiland and independents Gordon Howie and Larry Pressler — will square off.
The open-seat race for the seat of retiring Sen. Tim Johnson was long thought a lost cause for Democrats, but recent polls have pointed to a more competitive campaign. Still, this is a state that Mitt Romney carried with 58% of the vote in 2012, so Rounds, a former governor, figures to have an edge.
In
any case, it's a race with a bit of flair. To wit: Weiland led his
campaign band on guitar during a recent rally, and Pressler, a former
GOP senator, recently read poetry at a sports bar, The Wall Street Journal reported. We can only hope for a few colorful moments at the debate.
USA TODAY's Election Outlook rates this contest as Leans Republican.
Brown and Shaheen face off (again) in New Hampshire
The odds of Democrats holding the Senate become a lot longer if they lose Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's seat in New Hampshire. She'll meet Republican candidate Scott Brown in a debate Thursday night that will be televised on CNN.
The
two also debated Tuesday. Shaheen slammed Brown, a former Massachusetts
senator, as an outsider out of touch with the Granite State, while
Brown cited his bipartisan approach during his brief Senate tenure, according to the Associated Press.
The latest rolling average of polls from RealClearPolitics puts Shaheen's lead over Brown at just under 3 points.
Hogs and outsourcing in Iowa
If it ain't broke. You may remember Iowa GOP Senate candidate Joni Ernst made a splash during her primary campaign this spring when she touted in an ad that she grew up castrating hogs.
It was a winning formula then, so the Ernst campaign returned to the hog themein its latest ad. In it, Ernst decries Washington, saying: "Too many politicians hogging, wasting and full of ... let's just say bad ideas."
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley says in his latest spot that the campaign isn't about personalities but rather "who will be best for Iowa." Namely, he focuses on jobs and hits Ernst on tax breaks for companies that outsource. For more on these ads, make sure to check out coverage from our colleagues at The Des Moines Register.
And if it seems like candidates like Braley and Ernst are spending a lot on the campaign, it's because they are. The Center for Responsive Politics projects that congressional campaign spending will approach $4 billion — a midterm record.
Elsewhere on the trail
The Associated Press looks at who would likely take over Senate committee chairmanships in the next Congress should Republicans take control.
And in the all-important battle for the Senate, The New York Times examines the most probable paths to control for each party.
Hanging chads
Already thinking ahead to 2016? Look no further than our Road to 2016 page with stories about all the possible contenders.
USA TODAY's Susan Page talks with Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, stars of the new CBS series Madam Secretary, in the latest edition of Capital Download.
And for the latest news throughout the political world, make sure to follow our On Politics blog throughout the day.
Gardner opens up lead
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows Republican Cory
Gardner has gained ground on Democratic Senator Mark Udall since
September.
VPCOne candidate may be pulling away in a race that's pivotal in the battle for control of the Senate. In a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll in Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner has built a 7-point lead over Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.A race that was thought to be a near-guaranteed pickup for the Republicans is getting interesting. On Thursday night, the four candidates for the state's open U.S. Senate race — Republican Mike Rounds, Democrat Rick Weiland and independents Gordon Howie and Larry Pressler — will square off.
The open-seat race for the seat of retiring Sen. Tim Johnson was long thought a lost cause for Democrats, but recent polls have pointed to a more competitive campaign. Still, this is a state that Mitt Romney carried with 58% of the vote in 2012, so Rounds, a former governor, figures to have an edge.
USA TODAY's Election Outlook rates this contest as Leans Republican.
Brown and Shaheen face off (again) in New Hampshire
The odds of Democrats holding the Senate become a lot longer if they lose Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's seat in New Hampshire. She'll meet Republican candidate Scott Brown in a debate Thursday night that will be televised on CNN.
The latest rolling average of polls from RealClearPolitics puts Shaheen's lead over Brown at just under 3 points.
Hogs and outsourcing in Iowa
If it ain't broke. You may remember Iowa GOP Senate candidate Joni Ernst made a splash during her primary campaign this spring when she touted in an ad that she grew up castrating hogs.
It was a winning formula then, so the Ernst campaign returned to the hog themein its latest ad. In it, Ernst decries Washington, saying: "Too many politicians hogging, wasting and full of ... let's just say bad ideas."
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley says in his latest spot that the campaign isn't about personalities but rather "who will be best for Iowa." Namely, he focuses on jobs and hits Ernst on tax breaks for companies that outsource. For more on these ads, make sure to check out coverage from our colleagues at The Des Moines Register.
And if it seems like candidates like Braley and Ernst are spending a lot on the campaign, it's because they are. The Center for Responsive Politics projects that congressional campaign spending will approach $4 billion — a midterm record.
Elsewhere on the trail
The Associated Press looks at who would likely take over Senate committee chairmanships in the next Congress should Republicans take control.
And in the all-important battle for the Senate, The New York Times examines the most probable paths to control for each party.
Hanging chads
Already thinking ahead to 2016? Look no further than our Road to 2016 page with stories about all the possible contenders.
USA TODAY's Susan Page talks with Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, stars of the new CBS series Madam Secretary, in the latest edition of Capital Download.
And for the latest news throughout the political world, make sure to follow our On Politics blog throughout the day.
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