CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
– POLITICS
Dec. 4, 2008 – 8:38 a.m.
Political Trivia for Dec. 4
By Bob Benenson
Democratic Senate seats are up in 2010 in how many states carried by John McCain ?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
Answer: b) Of the 16 states where elections are scheduled to be held in 2010 for Democratic-held Senate seats, only two were carried for president on Nov. 4 by Republican John McCain : Arkansas, where Democrat Blanche Lincoln is expected to seek a third term, and North Dakota, where Byron L. Dorgan will be up for a fourth term.
The following are the states holding regularly scheduled Senate elections for Democratic seats, all carried for president by Democrat Barack Obama :
• California: Barbara Boxer
• Colorado: Ken Salazar
• Connecticut: Christopher J. Dodd
• Hawaii: Daniel K. Inouye
• Illinois, for the seat vacated by Obama after he won the presidential election. Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich will appoint an interim successor.
• Indiana: Evan Bayh
Political Trivia for Dec. 4
• Maryland: Barbara A. Mikulski
• Nevada: Harry Reid
• New York: Charles E. Schumer
• Oregon: Ron Wyden
• Vermont: Patrick J. Leahy
• Washington: Patty Murray
• Wisconsin: Russ Feingold
The list is rounded out by two races in states won by Obama that have special circumstances related to his election:
• Delaware, where a special election will be held for the seat that Democratic Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will vacate. Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden associate, has been named Biden’s interim successor by Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner , but he says he will not run in the 2010 special election for the remaining four years of the unexpired term.
Also, there almost certainly will be a second Senate contest in New York, a special election for the seat Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will vacate if she is confirmed, as expected to be secretary of State in Obama’s administration. Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson will appoint an interim successor pending the special election for the final two years of Clinton’s unexpired term.
Comments
There will not be a presidential election in 2010, so no coat tails. Congress still has miserable approval ratings, and Dodd's own state didn't even support his run for the presidency. This election demonstrated that when Republicans don't vote, bad things happen. 2010 will see a normalizing of voter interest.
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