US Senators Up for Reelection in 2014, More Democrats at Risk than Republicans

2014 US Senate …

It is not too early to take a look to see what US Senaotrs are up for reelection in 2014. The GOP has managed to royally screw up the take over of seats in 2012 as they literally gave away the Senate races in Indiana and Missouri. Let this be a valuable learning lesson for Republicans and their choices for solid candidates. The GOP does not need moderate, wishy-washy candidates; however, they also do not need walking nightmares the likes of Murdoch and Akin who snatched defeat from a sure win by not being able to explain their positions. A note to GOP candidates in the future, if you feel the need to say that God is for rape … shut your trap. All GOP candidates must realize the MSM is not on your side and will spin your words to make them sound even worse than they are. So if you cannot intelligently present your ideas and beliefs to the people, you need not run.

The mere numbers of states that need to be defended tell us that Democrats once again have to do the heavy lifting to defend their turf. Democrats have far more seats up for election than the GOP and most Republican seats appear to be safe. However, we have seen this story before. Republicans best get their act in gear and come up with far better candidates than 2012.

Democrat Senators up for reelection:

1. Warner, Mark R. – (D – VA) – Seems safe as VA has trended Democrat, but would it in an off year election?
2. Coons, Christopher A. – (D – DE) – Safe
3. Durbin, Richard J. – (D – IL) – Safe
4. Franken, Al – (D – MN) – Could be vulnerable, Franken won in a close, questionable election in the wave election of 2008.
5. Hagan, Kay R. – (D – NC) – North Carolina is one of the few battleground states that went to Romney in 2012, could be a vulnerable seat in 2014 for Democrats.
6. Harkin, Tom – (D – IA) – Safe
7. Johnson, Tim – (D – SD) – Safe unless he decides to retire.
8. Kerry, John F. – (D – MA) – It has been rumored that Kerry may be Obama’s next Secretary of State in his 2nd term. If this occurs there will be a special election for this seat prior to the full election.
9. Landrieu, Mary L. – (D – LA) – Louisiana is a red state; however, the Landrieu name is an institution in the Byou.
10. Lautenberg, Frank R. – (D – NJ) – It is hard to believe that Lautenberg will run for reelection as he will be 90 years old in 2014. If he does decide to run its just another case for the Senate having term limits.
11. Levin, Carl – (D – MI) – Safe
12. Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR) – Safe
13. Pryor, Mark L. – (D – AR) – Would the red state of Arkansas want to switch to a GOP Senator? It all depends on how good a candidate they run.
14. Reed, Jack – (D – RI) – Safe
15. Rockefeller, John D., IV – (D – WV) – Safe if he runs, he will be 77 but that seems to be a spring chicken these days in the Senate.
16. Shaheen, Jeanne – (D – NH) – one never knows in a swing state in an off-year election.
17. Udall, Mark – (D – CO) – Another swing state that has trended Democrat, but who knows in an off year election of a 2nd term president.
18. Udall, Tom – (D – NM) – The state has trended Democrat, most likely safe.
19. Baucus, Max – (D – MT) – hard to believe that such a red state has a Democrat Senator.
20. Begich, Mark – (D – AK) – could be a targeted seat as Begich was elected during the wave election of 2008. No reason why Alaska has a Democrat Senator.

Republican Senators up for reelection:

1. Johanns, Mike – (R – NE) – Safe
2. Chambliss, Saxby – (R – GA) – Safe
3. Cochran, Thad – (R – MS) – Safe
4. Collins, Susan M. – (R – ME) – Safe if she does not retire
5. Cornyn, John – (R – TX) – Safe
6. Enzi, Michael B. – (R – WY) – Safe
7. Graham, Lindsey – (R – SC) – Safe, unless the GOP pulls another 2012 Indiana Senate race debacle.
8. Inhofe, James M. – (R – OK) – Safe
9. Sessions, Jeff – (R – AL) – Safe
10. Roberts, Pat – (R – KS) – Safe
11. McConnell, Mitch – (R – KY) – Safe
12. Risch, James E. – (R – ID) – Safe
13. Alexander, Lamar – (R – TN) – Safe, however, would not be surprised if he is seriously challenged in the primaries.

Show Me Primaries: Todd Akin Wins Missouri Republican US Senate Primary and Will Face Vulnerable Democrat McCaskill

Congressman Todd Akin wins the GOP primary  in Missouri over his Republican rivals John Brunner and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman. Akin ultimately won the hard fought match up over Brunner and Steelman, 36.0%, 30.0% and 29.2%, respectively. Once again the Tea Party has flexed it’s muscle as they send yet another Tea Party backed candidate into the general election in 2012.

Congressman Todd Akin has won a hard-fought Republican primary for the right to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Akin on Tuesday topped businessman John Brunner and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman in a primary in which all three leading candidates portrayed themselves as the top conservative choice.

McCaskill was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Claire McCaskill is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent Democrats and a must win by the GOP if the Republicans hope to take back the US Senate in 2012. In a recent Rasmussen poll, Akin lead McCaskill, 47% to 44%.

Pollster Scott Rasmussen Says, Conservative interest in the presidential election hit “stratospheric levels” Following SCOTUS Decision on Obamacare/Obamatax (VIDEO)

In an interview with Newsmax, pollster Scott Rasmussen stated that since the US Supreme Court made its ruling that Obamacare was Constitutional based on the Congresses right to tax … conservative enthusiasm and against Obamacare is at “stratospheric levels. The enthusiasm gap is going to make a great difference in the 2012 elections. The SCOTUS ruling has appeared to awake a sleeping giant, especially since Obamacare was misrepresented to “We the People” as a bait and switch and deemed a tax by the SCOTUS.

Conservative interest in the presidential election hit “stratospheric levels” following last week’s Supreme Court ruling upholding Obamacare, noted pollster and author Scott Rasmussen tells Newsmax.TV.

“All that did was energize conservatives,” declared Rasmussen in an exclusive interview on Monday. “The conservative interest in the election was already much higher than that of moderates and liberals. It went up to really stratospheric levels right after the ruling. We don’t know if that will continue or if it’s just a temporary response to the news cycle.”

How will this translate to the 2012 election coupled with the continued poor economy for President Barack Obama and Democrats? The backlash against this unpopular bill was part of the cause why Democrats took a shellacking in the 2010 midterm elections. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, even after the SCOTUS ruled the law Constitutional, 52% want Obamatax repealed while only 39% support it. The economy still remains the #1 issue with the American people. However, Barack Obama braces at the end of this week for June’s job data.

Weak June manufacturing numbers released Monday intensified concern about the fragility of the economic recovery and turned election-watchers’ attention toward unemployment numbers due out at the end of this week.

The reports, just four months before voters cast their ballots in the presidential election, come amid a wave of bad news on the global economy, which is seen by both the White House and President Obama’s critics as the most potent threat to his chances of securing a second term in office.

Tea Party Candidate Richard Mourdock Defeats 6 Term Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar in Landslide

Those that had previously stated that the Tea Party was a fad might want to rethink those foolish statement … Another RINO bites the political dust.

Last night in the Indiana Republican primaries, Tea Party candidate Richard Murdock defeated 6 term US Senator Richard Lugar in a landslide. The 80 year old, 6 term Richard Lugar was soundly defeated, no Lugar was routed by State Treasurer Richard Murdock by nearly 20%. Of course the liberal MSM will echo the chorus of this will further contribute to the lack of bi-partisanship in DC and the GOP has lurched to the right. However, the MSM was deafly silent when “Blue Dog” Democrats were voted out in the primaries in PA as the Democrats chose more left leaning candidate. Imagine that?

In typical, entitled, establishment candidate form Lugar criticizing the partisan environment, code for the Tea Party and anyone who dare challenge the RINO establishment. Sorry, but some of you Republican fossils are directly to blame for the predicament that we find ourselves in today and your chumming up to the socialist, failed economic agenda and policies of Barack Obama is hardly going to win anyone reelection. Sorry, as a Republican you do not get to vote for Obama’s stimulus and remotely think you stand a chance of being voted back to office by “We the People”. When you are dubbed Barack Obama’s favorite Republican, this Hoosier upset was pretty much a sure thing.

The truth is that the headwinds in this race were abundantly apparent long before Richard Mourdock announced his candidacy. One does not highlight such headwinds publically when one is waging a campaign. But I knew that I would face an extremely strong anti-incumbent mood following a recession. I knew that my work with then-Senator Barack Obama would be used against me, even if our relationship were overhyped. I also knew from the races in 2010 that I was a likely target of Club for Growth, FreedomWorks and other Super Pacs dedicated to defeating at least one Republican as a purification exercise to enhance their influence over other Republican legislators.

A note to all politicians, not just Lugar and other non-vertebrae Republicans, the American people are tired of the establishment. Personally, I believe in term limits and no politician should ever be allowed to be in office 36 years. That is never what out Founding Fathers envisioned. Last nights vote should be a reminder to the GOP by We the People, the US Senate is not the US Supreme Court. You are not elected for life. You do not get to leave when you feel like it and not represent the people. You serve at our will, not the other way around.

Richard Mourdock will face Democrat Rep. Joe Donnelly in November.

Rick Sanorum Endorses GOP Rival Mitt Romney Republican Presidential Candidate

Rick Santorum endorses Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee for President, the party comes together … “Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated.” Powerline has the written endorsement and aptly states, “This is a compelling case, and I expect that Romney will have the solid backing of Santorum supporters.”

A reader forwards this email Rick Santorum is sending to his supporters in which he announces he’s endorsing Mitt Romney.

Santorum makes clear that he felt Romney had answered questions about his commitment to principles the former senator cares about at their one-hour meeting in Pittsburgh. And his backing, while expected, comes at a time when Romney is trying to solidify his standing in the party, whose social conservative base remains uncertain about him.

“Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated,” Santorum writes in the email. :The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime.”

It is going to take all to come together during this most important election of our lifetime to defeat Obama and his socialist, class warfare agenda.