2018 congressional races

Even if the blue wave is huge, the neo-Nazi/KKK wing of the GOP is safest. The districts they represent are deep red and without enough Democrats and independents to make a difference. It's the mainstream conservatives who are going down, not the extremists.

There's no one that great running for governor but there's a great candidate for Superintedent of Public InstructionEvery couple of years at this point in the cycle, Californians ask me who to vote for in down ballot races. I don't know who will be the best judges but I try to figure it out. I spend my time trying to figure out who the best candidates for Congress will be.

Trying to figure out how someone is going to perform in Congress is the single most important factor in figuring out which candidate to support in a contested election. And as we saw earlier today, one of the easiest ways is to examine the voting records and leadership records of state legislators trying to make the jump.

Gil Cisneros, the DCCC's 2018 mascot... and people wonder why California is looking dodgySix of the very best members of Congress-- plus many more-- declared their candidacies on the back on fantastic records as state legislators: Ted Lieu (CA), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Barbara Lee (CA), Jamie Raskin (MD), Mark Pocan (WI), Keith Ellison (MN).

Who likes Van Drew more, the DCCC or the NRA?-by Jersey JimOn March 26, the New Jersey Assembly passed a package of six gun control bills that Gov. Phil Murphy had promised to sign.

We've been writing about Alexandria Ocasio, who we endorsed, for some time now and, for far longer, about her opponent Joe Crowley. As you can see from the video above, Alexandria is guaranteed to be a shake 'em up member when she makes it to Congress. Crowley, on the other hand, is exactly what need has needed to be shaken up. Time's up.Pelosi and Hoyer have groomed him and anointed him as their successor to lead the House Democrats.

Is Señor Trumpanzee going to install a boxing ring in front of his desk in the Oval Office. Like he's always said, his style of management includes having his employees fight with each other. Collegiality is not a trait is encourages. Back-stabbing is. He's a sick cookie... always has been. But what would you expect from someone whose father was a KKK thug and whose grandfather ran a whorehouse?

Governor?9 or 10 years ago, Gavin Newsom, Mayor or ex-Mayor of San Francisco, invited a gaggle of Los Angeles political bloggers to meet him in a rented conference room of a fancy West Hollywood hotel. I had the impression everyone was impressed besides me-- and even I was a little impressed. He was really smart and was able to speak way more intelligently than most politicians can on every single subject every blogger threw at him.

Elisse Stefanik's North Country district (NY-21) is the biggest in New York State. Obama won it both times he ran but in 2016 it saw a big red swing. An even PVI is now R+4. Trump crushed Hillary 53.9% to 40.0%. And Stefanik was reelected in a landslide-- 65.3% to 30.2%.

I was talking with a friend of mine, a top congressional staffer, the other day about a drunk congressman. He mentioned-- without judgment-- that it would be easier and far quicker to make a list of sober members of Congress than a list of the alcoholics serving in that branch.