Shut out of the governor’s mansion for two decades, Minnesota Democrats hope to choose a streak-stopper Tuesday in a primary election defined by tremendous expense, promises of tax hikes and uncertainty over turnout. Two candidates are looking for a rebirth … Continued

It must have been gloomy for Democrats when the nation’s governors met last month in Boston for their annual summer get-together. The reason: If congressional races look bad for Democrats, the 37 gubernatorial contests are even worse. A quick survey … Continued

That was not just the message that Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican Party, delivered in a speech here on Friday. They were also the words that he wore on his head, a slogan emblazoned on red baseball hats that he handed … Continued

The Republican National Committee narrowly approved significant changes to its presidential nominating calendar designed to delay and stretch out the 2012 primaries and caucuses. Under the new rule, no state could hold a primary or caucus before February 2012. That … Continued

From Ray Reed at The News & Advance State Sen. Robert Hurt, the 5th District GOP congressional nominee, told theLynchburg Tea Party on Thursday night that he voted for a state tax increase in 2004 because the state government was in danger of … Continued

Bill Haslam claimed the Republican nomination for governor in Tennessee Thursday, fending off two prominent officeholders who attacked him as insufficiently conservative. The Knoxville mayor won by a convincing margin over Rep. Zach Wamp and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, taking … Continued

Target Corp. sought to take advantage of new campaign-finance rules, but ended up putting a bull’s eye on its back. The Minneapolis retailer recently donated $150,000 to a political group, Minnesota Forward, that backs pro-business candidates in statewide races, including … Continued

A new Mason-Dixon poll conducted for Leadership Florida and theFlorida Press Association reveals that multimillionaire Rick Scott’s lead over attorney general Bill McCollum has a 6 point edge over McCollum, a narrower lead than other recent polls that show Scott enjoying double-digit … Continued

Many Americans today are unhappy with the Democratic Party. Yet according to a Gallup poll conducted in July 2010, Democrats were still ahead of Republicans, 49% to 43%, in voters’ generic ballot preferences for the 2010 congressional elections. Why? A … Continued

The California governor’s race between Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman remains a nail-biter. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Brown with 43% support and Whitman earning 41% of the vote. Six … Continued