Eric Ostermeier

Smart Politics founder (Ph.D. U of MN; J.D. U of MI), data journalism pioneer, and curator of the Minnesota Historical Election Archive:

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Iowa has had open seats for governor and the U.S. Senate in just two of the previous 30 cycles in which both offices have been on the ballot since 1914 https://t.co/F68tHhK6IK

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

South Dakota is bracing for its first runoff since the 1985 election law went into effect #SDGOV
https://t.co/xBuoJuprKg

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

10 of 18 second place Texas US Senate primary finishers went on to win the runoff; none by a greater margin than Ken Paxton (63.8 percent)
https://t.co/hlUYYYzxKG

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

In February, I wrote this report documenting every U.S. Senator who placed third or worse in a primary since 1914 – Bill Cassidy is the third Republican to do so and 14th overall
https://t.co/qBszm3sBT7

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

@haluskimatous Yes. Janet Mills vs. Susan Collins in '26 would have also tied the mark for three in a row for a US Senate seat.

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Wisconsin Democrats have netted an average of one seat per cycle across the 23 midterm elections held during Republican presidencies https://t.co/QqD9fvJGdz

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

@quorumcaller The same cycle Oklahoma Democrats won 8 of 9 statewide offices (all but Corporation Commissioner) https://t.co/zh9bmqhDy7

[Dave Levinthal @davelevinthal]

The death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) in 2013 ended a storied Capitol Hill political career that spanned more than three decades.

Or so it seemed.

https://t.co/dzKIKnN6FV

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

@ceblam_ Slightly more than half (13) - Gore (OK), Walsh (MA), Neely (WV), Barkley (KY), Barbour (NJ), O’Mahoney (WY), Gillette (IA), Lodge, Jr (MA), Humphrey (MN), Goldwater (AZ), Gorton (WA), Lautenberg (NJ), and Conrad (ND)

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

If elected in November, Sherrod Brown would be the 23rd U.S. Senator to have held both seats from his state during the direct election era
https://t.co/GJwJ8ad0fP

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Kansas Democrats are poised to field a record number of US Senate primary candidates this cycle
https://t.co/JdUPC1FfKo

[Steve Kornacki @SteveKornacki]

Some real suspense in Virginia! I'll be going live at 6:45 and as always with these, we will stay live and uninterrupted until we get a call. Hope you'll come along for the ride tonight.

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Mark Sanford is looking to become the 5th South Carolina U.S. Representative to serve three interrupted terms in the chamber, and the 1st since the 1800s #SC01 https://t.co/5kWgJCmfcu

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

@DaveMeyer This study includes ascended governors, so Keen Johnson (1939) and Lawrence Weatherby (1951) - both subsequently elected - are included. But so is James Black (1919, loss), so KY is 67% since 1914 (corrected map on site).

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Vermont governors have won their last 23 reelection attempts, leading the nation at 94 percent since 1914 https://t.co/Ex1x8EOTXS

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

@RBSalt All the WY losses were 1962 or prior (mix of Dems & GOPers). Incumbents there have won 8 in a row since then.

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

Gubernatorial incumbents have won the same percentage of elections in midterms (433 of 611, 70.9 percent) as presidential cycles (251 of 355, 70.7 percent) since 1914
https://t.co/oRvCnR6NzB

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

The best showing by a Texas Libertarian does not rank in the Top 70 of the 400+ U.S. Senate candidates in party history #TXSEN https://t.co/E0f3pF6Fzt

[David Mark @DavidMarkDC]

Two former House members who served federal prison time within the past dozen years have lost 2026 comeback bids:
Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.)
Steve Stockman (R-Texas)
One more to go, with Chris Collins (R-Fla.) running in FL19. Collings previously was a House member from New York.

[Eric Ostermeier @SmartPolitics]

The 10 Democrats on the Illinois US Senate primary ballot in 2026 is a party record (9 in 1932). The 16 DEM and GOP US Senate primary candidates this cycle is also a state record (14 in 2004).