General Coverage
Candidates Talk Issues, Personalities, But Not Impeachment
October 27, 1998
From coast to coast – from the bitter re-election contest of California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, to the eye-gouging, donnybrook in New York, where Republican Senator Alfonse D'Amato called Democratic challenger, Rep. Charles Schumer, a "putzhead" – candidates are taking jabs at each other over tax cuts, education, selling out to special interests, ignoring local concerns, or just plain not showing up for work.
Unite and Conquer: GOP Struggles to Make Whole Exceed Sum of Its Parts
October 25, 1998
The talk turns to the impending impeachment inquiry in the House. Gingrich is suddenly cautious. "What the country wants is a Republican Party that focuses on government because the country wants to know that we care more about the country than we care about partisan advantage," he says. "I mean, the worst thing Republicans could do would be to narrowly focus on this scandal. That would be the most counterproductive thing to do."
On Touchy Subject, Speaker Stays Quiet
October 24, 1998
As far his fellow House Republicans are concerned, any comment from House Speaker Newt Gingrich on President Clinton and his troubles would likely produce more damage than benefits. Every time the speaker has offered an opinion on the subject, from vowing to highlight "crimes" in the White House to arguing that only a pattern of felonies would warrant impeachment, he has provoked a backlash.
In Battle for Senate Seats, 3 Is Also Pivotal Number
October 19, 1998
Much of the focus on Senate campaigns this fall has been on Republican hopes of making a five-seat gain, producing a "filibuster-proof" majority of 60 GOP senators, the number of votes needed to cut off debate. But within that larger context there is another struggle going on between the two bitterly divided sides in the abortion debate.
More Politicians Use Web as Campaign Tool
October 17, 1998
This political season is seeing more use of the Internet by campaigns than ever before. Almost every major candidate, and many local ones too, are maintaining Web sites, where they offer not only the standard fare of resumes and positions, but are encouraging their supporters to donate money online, to pass along e-mail endorsements to friends and newspapers and to watch and participate in the campaigns – all from the comfort of their computers.
Democrats See Defeats as Election Issue
October 17, 1998
Just one day after celebrating last-minute Democratic victories in congressional spending battles, President Clinton and other party leaders abruptly shifted focus today to highlight the many defeats they suffered over the past year in the hope that voters will punish Republicans for snubbing the agenda that Clinton laid out in his State of the Union address nine months ago.
Campaign Looms Over Budget Talks
October 15, 1998
It was brinkmanship time in Congress. The election campaign was at its peak and Clinton was under threat of impeachment. Everybody needed to win something in the congressional endgame, and as the final moves played out in the race to fund the federal government, it was time to reflect on winners and losers and prepare, finally, to get out of town.
Vulnerable Democrats Go Home to Face Music
October 13, 1998
Democrats, who are worried about the impact of the president's troubles on their electoral performance next month, could take some comfort from the warm receptions. Eager to prevent a runaway impeachment train, the party is struggling to keep the GOP from large gains beyond its 11-seat majority.
Approval of Congress Drops in Poll
October 12, 1998
Public support for Congress and Republican congressional candidates has dipped in the wake of the partisan vote in the House of Representatives to begin a formal impeachment investigation of President Clinton, according to a new Washington Post survey.
Candidates Are Held Hostage by Scandal
October 11, 1998
Members of Congress begin the final three weeks of the midterm election with Republicans still heavily favored to gain seats in the House and Senate. But strategists in both parties said the GOP advantage has been eroded in the past two weeks by the hardening of partisan lines drawn around Thursday's vote in the House to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton.
As More Women Run, Gains in Congress Predicted
October 1, 1998
Just a decade ago, there were 25 women in Congress. Today there are 63, and the trend shows little sign of slowing. Women have won half of the eight special elections held to fill vacant seats in this term of Congress, and nearly half of the most competitive races in the country this year feature female candidates.
Primary Turnout Decline Continues
September 29, 1998
Voter participation in midterm primary elections continued its decades-long decline around the country this year, but it's impossible to predict whether the trend will also affect the November elections under the specter of presidential impeachment hearings, according to a study.
Democrats Buoyed by GOP Tack
September 26, 1998
Democrats believe they've found a way to turn the scandal engulfing President Clinton to their advantage at the polls on Election Day.
Conservation Voters Group Adds Candidates to Election Year Hit List
September 23, 1998
One of the nation's top environmental groups added four Republicans and one Democrat to the list of candidates it wants to trample in the upcoming November elections.
November Optimism in Both Parties
September 17, 1998
With the completion of virtually all the primaries, Republicans and Democrats have had equal success in fielding the House and Senate candidates they wanted for the fall election.
Schumer to Face D'Amato for N.Y. Race
September 16, 1998
Voters cast ballots to pick nominees in key state and congressional contests in nine states from Massachusetts to Washington as Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) surged in the closing days to defeat front-runner Geraldine Ferraro. With nearly 90 percent of the vote counted, Schumer, who will face Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-N.Y.) in November, had 51 percent to Ferraro's 25 percent.
Democrats in Tight Races Walk Clinton Tightrope
September 15, 1998
With the midterm elections seven weeks away, all Democrats in competitive races this fall are being warned against embracing the legal defense Clinton's lawyers have thrown up. At the same time, they are being told that if they abandon the president, they may sink themselves and their party.
Clinton's Woes Raise GOP Hopes for a Filibuster-Free Senate
September 13, 1998
Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) now trails in her bid for reelection, according to recent polls. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are clinging to razor-thin leads. The contest for a Democratic-held seat in Kentucky is wide-open. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) has gained some ground but remains in serious peril.
Clinton Woes Fuel Big Voter Shift
September 9, 1998
The White House scandal has pushed moral values to the top of the voters' agenda and threatens to depress Democratic turnout to the point Republicans could score a big victory in the November election, two leading pollsters said yesterday.
Amid Election Apathy, Parties Bet on Core Voters
September 7, 1998
The prospect of a high-stakes but low-turnout election for the House and Senate has both parties, their candidates and key interest groups scrambling to spur their own most reliable voters to the polls on Nov. 3.
In Georgia, Carrying on a Tradition of Apathy
September 7, 1998
Not once in Georgia's history has a majority of its citizens voted in an election. In 1996, it ranked as the sixth-lowest state for voter turnout. Yet it is not one of the lowest states for voter registration. Instead, Georgia's problem has been nudging people from the books into the booths.
Democrats Fear Loss of Black Loyalty
August 3, 1998
Democrats running for top offices in states as diverse as Florida, Missouri, South Carolina and Maryland are facing the unexpected challenge of keeping the party's most loyal constituency – black voters – in the fold.
GOP's Agenda Pleases Backers
July 19, 1998
Facing the long shot threat of losing control of the House, Republican congressional leaders have adopted a legislative program designed to boost Election Day turnout among social conservatives and speed the flow of campaign cash from the corporate community.
Two Sides of Casinos' Coin
July 12, 1998
Like many people in this deeply conservative state, Gov. Kirk Fordice (R) is of two minds on the subject of casino gambling, which has become a virtual cash machine that today provides an estimated 10 percent of the tax revenue that funds the state budget.
Business, GOP Chiefs Reconcile on Agenda
July 8, 1998
After a brief but bitter lovers' quarrel, key business advocates and the House Republican leadership have reconciled. Charles S. Mack and Bernadette Budde of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) formalized the breakthrough in the dispute by giving Republican leaders just what they wanted: a memorandum to corporate supporters declaring that continued GOP control of Congress is crucial "if a free enterprise agenda is to advance."
Consultants: Letting the Good Times Roll, Americans Will Shun Nov. Polls
July 7, 1998
The November general election will have the lowest turnout in recent history, draw voters mostly over the age of 50, will be preceded by more nastiness in both Congress and paid political advertising, and will end with Republicans keeping control of the House and Senate, a group of political consultants said Monday.
This Year, Candidates Go Back to School
July 4, 1998
The hottest political issue around, if campaign commercials are any guide, may be too many students in America's classrooms.
Candidates Expect 'Issue Advocacy' Season
June 30, 1998
In Campaign '98, the opposition is more than just the other names on the ballot. Candidates, political parties and outside groups are gearing up for a campaign season in which advertising by forces other than the candidates may play a critical, and in some places even dominant, role.
Green Group Marks Candidates for Defeat in Tight Races
June 23, 1998
The League of Conservation Voters, one of the nation's top environmental groups, is targeting five Republicans and one Democrat for defeat in the November elections.
Primaries Point to Low Election Turnout
June 20, 1998
Voters have turned out in record-low numbers so far this year, foreshadowing a midterm election that could produce one of the lowest levels of participation in history, according to a report.
Consultants' Ethics: Politics Survey Finds Attitude of 'Don't Blame Us'
June 18, 1998
A new survey of consultants portrays the men and women who run the nation's political campaigns as self-confident individuals who crave the "thrill" of a race, eagerly embrace scare tactics and negative advertising, but dismiss ethical questions as not their major worry.
GOP Angers Big Business on Key Issues
June 11, 1998
Major corporations and trade associations, fearing the loss of key overseas markets to foreign competitors, are growing increasingly angry at Republican congressional leaders they see as determined to mine the China technology scandal and to accommodate the Christian right by adding abortion and religious amendments to foreign policy bills at the expense of business.
In Tuesday's Vote Bright Spots for Both Parties
June 4, 1998
As the smoke cleared from primary elections in eight states, Republicans and Democrats battling for the tiniest advantage emerged in a virtual standoff in the fight for control of the House.
Grass-Roots Organizing Tops TV Ads in AFL-CIO Political Agenda
May 20, 1998
Organized labor, having learned some tough lessons in the last election, is making changes this time, cutting way back on television spending and putting more emphasis on old-fashioned grass-roots organizing, including a lot of door knocking and telephone calling.
Parties' Core Backers Seen as Key to Vote
May 9, 1998
Democratic and Republican strategists said yesterday that a key to victory in the 1998 elections will be how successful each party is in getting core supporters to the polls.
A Medicare Gimmick That Hasn't Paid Off
May 2, 1998
It started in 1995 as a tart political gimmick, an effort by then-Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour to broadcast his claim that the GOP-sponsored budget would increase Medicare by more than 50 percent.
More Women Finding a Place in the House
April 26, 1998
Despite electoral wins, some female lawmakers openly question whether they wield the kind of influence in Congress they did just a few years ago. And while women may disproportionately favor Democrats, female lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say Republican leaders are making more of an effort than Democrats are to reach out to women.
Democratic Hill Campaign Panels Press 'Unity Plan'
April 26, 1998
House and Senate Democrats are pressing the White House to commit to an ambitious fund-raising plan aimed at generating $20 million for their tough bid to reclaim control of Congress this fall.
Election-year Congress Plays It Safe
April 7, 1998
GOP leaders in Congress have set a minimalist agenda intended to avoid major political mistakes during this congressional election year.
Poll Rates President, Democrats Favorably
April 3, 1998
Not only does President Clinton continue to enjoy huge popularity despite the continuing investigation by the independent counsel, but he is in a good position to help his party win congressional seats in this fall's election, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center.
GOP's Ties to Christian Right Fraying
March 27, 1998
On three fronts, the fragile alliance between the Christian right and the establishment wings of the Republican Party threatens to deteriorate into bitter disputes endangering the party's Election Day prospects in 1998 and 2000.
Illinois Democrats' Racial Divide Claims Practical Side
March 17, 1998
Illinois has elected more African Americans to statewide office than any other state. But the primary election presents a unique and polarizing question for Democrats here: Can the party choose four black candidates to top posts in November's general election, and still win?
Ready To Rumble
March 15, 1998
The effort and money expended in the first House special election of the year, a California contest won by Democrat Lois Capps, is a tipoff to the biggest political fact of 1998. For all the make-nice talk between the parties during last year's successful budget negotiations, the rivalry has never been more intense. – Analysis
The GOP: Tug to the Right?
March 8, 1998
The opening question from moderator John Callaway at the final televised debate before the March 17 Illinois Republican Senate primary was simple: Why haven't Republicans in this battleground state been able to win a Senate seat since 1978?
Parties Try to Field "Dream Candidates" in '98 Political Sleepwalk
January 20, 1998
It may be an overstatement, but national Republican campaigners say there is no overstating the seriousness of Robin Hayes’ North Carolina congressional candidacy: he is now considered in the top tier of candidates the GOP plans to run with this year. The 51-year-old candidate began running even before the incumbent, Democratic Rep. W.G. "Bill" Hefner, unexpectedly announced his retirement in January.
Satisfied Voters To Keep Congress In GOP Hands, Bipartisan Polling Finds
January 14, 1998
As congressional Republicans and Democrats prepare to do battle at the ballot boxes this year, two key party pollsters delivered advice Wednesday to both sides: Perfect the art of a love/hate relationship.
In Md., a Rising GOP
January 7, 1998
As Maryland enters a critical election year in which virtually every statewide office is up for grabs, a resurgent Republican Party appears poised to become a potent opposition party for the first time in a
generation.
A '98 Campaign of Skirmishes
November 9, 1997
A year before the 1998 elections, the battle for Congress looks like a set of sharp skirmishes that may leave the power balance on Capitol Hill little changed. As long as the economy remains healthy, incumbents of both parties should fare well.
Democrats Target 30 Congressional Seats in Effort to Retake House
October 30, 1997
Buoyed by the low popularity ratings of Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and an already aggressive campaign to fill their war chest, Democrats on Thursday laid out their battle plan to end the GOP's four-year control of the House.
Democrats Already Pursue House Class of '98
August 20, 1997
Democratic officials are optimistic they can pick up the 11 seats they need to regain the majority they lost in 1994, especially since 26 Republicans – 15 of them incumbents running for reelection – won with 51 percent of the vote or less last year. To find the strongest challengers, Democrats are stressing "research-based recruiting" – building a profile of the most likely candidate to win a district.
Key Stories
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