Elections

In a recent interview with Human Events, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour talks about the rise of Southern Republicans, arguing that it had to do with generational and economic transformations.

Christian Science Monitor reporter Gail Russell Chaddock wrote this story yesterday about Democrats' tough sledding heading toward November, and specifically the congressional race in Virginia's 11th congressional district between incumbent Democrat Gerry Connelly and Republican challenger Keith Fimian.

In 2000, there was Kailey. Today, there’s Debbie. 

With 33 percent of precincts reporting, Joe Miller, the Sarah Palin-backed veteran and former judge, is leading incumbent Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Senate primary 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent--or 21,364 votes to 20,362 votes. As John Fund reported Tuesday, Miller was "closing the gap," but still down by double digits against Murkowski in the most recent polling. This would be a very big upset if Miller wins.

Update: With 50 percent of precincts reporting, Miller is holding his narrow lead over Murkowski,  51.8 percent to 48.2 percent.

Update II: The results remain practically unchanged, with 84.2 percent of precincts reporting. Miller still leads Murkowski, 51.45 percent to 48.55 percent.

Update III (8:57 a.m.): With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Miller leads Murkowski 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent--or 45,909 to 43,949 votes. But the election isn't over quite yet. The Hotline's Reid Wilson writes that there are 8,000 absentee ballots to be counted beginning next Tuesday. But, assuming Miller maintins his 1,960 vote lead as the final two percent of precincts are counted, Murkowski would need 5,000 of the 8,000 absentee votes break in her favor to overtake Miller. (Update III was updated at 9:38 a.m. to correct vote totals.)

Australians went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new government, and as Monday morning dawns, they still have no idea who won. Instead, the two major parties fought to a tie, with both falling just shy of a 76-seat parliamentary majority.

I had the pleasure of traveling to California last week, a place D.H. Lawrence once described as “crazy sensible” because its people think about “just the moment: hardly as far ahead as carpe diem.”

For Republicans, poll numbers have never looked better prior to a midterm election than they do today. “You’ve got to pinch yourself every time you look at the data,” says pollster Neil Newhouse. A Republican victory “could be bigger than anyone thinks.”

TWS readers in Massachusetts seem particularly energized this year. Yesterday, one had interesting advice for GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker. Now another e-mails about the race in Massachusetts’s 5th Congressional District:

The mainstream liberal media: "Primary night yields good news for President Obama and Democrats" (John F. Harris, Politico).

It sounded very easy in theory. With the biggest tax increase in history set to go into effect on January 1, 2011, Democrats were poised to win the middle class rock heroes award.

A Democratic victory is projected in Connecticut’s fifth congressional district in Western Connecticut. But Sam Caligiuri, the party-endorsed Republican challenger, isn’t deterred.  He insists he can dethrone two-term Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy.

A Democratic victory is projected in Connecticut’s fifth congressional district in Western Connecticut. But Sam Caligiuri, the party-endorsed Republican challenger, isn’t deterred.  He insists he can dethrone two-term Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy.