The race is on, and there is no clear picture as to who will control what body of Congress come Nov. 5. Republicans trail by one seat in the U.S. Senate, and in the House of Representatives only six of 435 seats separate the Democrats from their first majority since 1994’s “Republican Revolution.”
The Minnesota, Louisiana and Missouri elections are three of the closest races where South Dakota and New Jersey are beginning to pull away.
In South Dakota, Democratic incumbent Tim Johnson holds a lead over Republican challenger, John Thune. In New Jersey Republican Doug Forrester is pulling ahead of Democrat Frank Leutenberg. Two months ago Democratic incumbent, Robert Torricelli, dropped out of the race after questions about his ethics arose.
The Missouri race features Jean Carnahan facing off against 2000 gubernatorial hopeful Jim Talent. This is a special election, due to the fact that Jean Carnahan was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell after Gov. Mel Carnahan won the Senate election posthumously, weeks after his death in a plane crash.
Talent has been advertising heavily since August, but Carnahan came on strong in October, after becoming more visible with ads and campaign appearances. Early polls have shown the two neck and neck. A Zogby poll to be released later in the week will give candidates an up-to-date indication as to where they stand.
Minnesota’s race seems to be similar to that of Missouri’s two years ago. Incumbent Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone, died with his wife and oldest daughter in a plane crash a week ago.
Since Wellstone’s death, Democratic leaders in the state have been scrambling to name a new candidate. Yesterday morning, Walter Mondale, whose political career can be traced back to Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, announced that he would accept the state’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s invitation to fill Wellstone’s shoes.
“It is with a heavy heart, but a great hope for the future, that I will pick up the campaign where Paul Wellstone left off,” Mondale said in a letter to DFL chairman Mike Erlandson.
Mondale, who began his career in the Senate in 1964, served as vice president under Jimmy Carter and lost a bid for the presidency in 1984 with Geraldine Farraro, the first major female vice presidential nominee.
His Republican opponent is Norm Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul, Minn. He has challenged Mondale to a series of debates in the remaining five days. Mondale has not yet agreed.
Why can Minnesota Democrats appoint Mondale to run, when Missouri Democrats could not appoint someone to succeed Mel Carnahan?
“It is an issue of state law,” said Steven Puro, a professor in the political science department at Saint Louis University.
The statues in Minnesota greatly differ from that of Missouri. Nevertheless, Gov. Jessie Ventura may appoint someone to the lame duck congress if the election is too close and requires absentees to be counted.
“I may just appoint some guy off the street,” Ventura said in addressing the press yesterday.
The Louisiana race may spark post-election fireworks as well if the Democratic incumbent, Mary L. Landrieu, does not receive a majority of votes. Under Louisiana law, Landrieu, who holds a lead over all candidates, must gain at least 50 percent of the vote, but polls show her in the mid 40s. A runoff will be held on Dec. 7 if one is needed.
Former congressman Jim Trafficant is attempting to run an independent campaign for Ohio’s 17th district from a Pennsylvania federal prison. Trafficant was voted out of the House of Representatives this past summer for ethics violations.
