Fresh from his post as host of ElectionConnection 2010, Joshua Baca breaks down the midterm elections by the numbers and reviews context, who matters and what it all means.

Tuesday’s midterm election was historic by many standards.  Effectively tapping into the frustration many Americans currently feel with a sluggish economy, government debt, and spending, Republicans were able to sweep most levels of government.  Republicans captured a majority in the United States House of Representatives, made historic gains in state government by capturing a majority of governorships and state legislative seats nationwide, and increased their membership in the United States Senate.

Representative John Boehner from Ohio will be the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Harry Reid and Democrats will retain control of the U.S. Senate.  A majority of the governorships will be controlled by Republicans. And in 2012, President Barack Obama will face a very red …

Over the next few weeks, TV and radio talk shows, along with op-ed pages and the blogosphere, will be bombarded with opinion and advice about what Congressional Republicans need to do in order to ingratiate themselves with the American electorate in the wake of their overwhelming victory on Tuesday.  It is likely even more words of wisdom will flow forth about how the administration and the Democrat leadership should react to Tuesday’s election results in order to salvage portions of their current agenda and endear themselves to voters prior to the 2012 election cycle.  Lost in much of this nationalized election landscape debate is the vast transformation that has taken place at the state level.

Nationwide, the election results tell of a striking shift in state legislative power.  Though a small number of races are still too close to call, it appears Republicans will emerge from this election …

With early voting already in progress across much of the country, the die has been cast for an election season which will likely redefine the makeup and leadership of Congress next year.  Regardless of the electoral gains or losses, the highly charged nature of voters and the political climate as a whole speak to the hyper-sensitivity of the current political climate in this country.

While the election results will undoubtedly display the unforgiving and hostile nature of disappointed voters across the nation, the opportunity to capitalize on a uniquely active, engaged, and informed electorate has never before presented itself so openly.   A voter may choose to highlight health care reform, energy and climate legislation, the economy, financial reform, or any of a myriad of other issues as the reasoning behind how they cast their ballot, but the overriding message rings loud and clear: “Washington has not been listening to me.”

The news surrounding this election cycle has mainly focused on whether or not Republicans will win enough seats to capture a majority in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.  However, with several contested gubernatorial races this November, these might be the races that matter most.  Starting in 2011, state legislatures will begin drawing new congressional districts based on the 2010 census and these newly-elected governors will play a significant role in how these congressional boundaries are drawn.  With important political states like Texas and Florida projected to gain seats in Congress, the outcomes of these races will have consequences well beyond the term of the governor elected in 2010.

Additionally, the outcomes of these races will have an impact on the 2012 presidential election. As the first three presidential nominating contests in 2012, Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire are significant states for Republicans seeking the nomination. Republican …

Last night the No Greater Sacrifice Foundation held its Inaugural New York Dinner at Gotham Hall to honor Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, Jr., Commanding General, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO of Black Rock. The event was emceed by Becky Quick of CNBC’s Squawk Box, and was a complete success, with an oversold 600 person audience, and $1 million raised in support of the cause. As an advisory board member, I was proud to be in attendance.

General Mulholland spoke of the bravery of the Special Forces who entered into Afghanistan within weeks of September 11th, and their commitment to carry out their mission in a manner that would make America proud. He added a bit of levity when he described American soldiers riding the smaller Afghan horses through the mountains as they liberated small towns …

Last week, Republican Christine O’Donnell (R) secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Delaware, upsetting long-time Republican Congressman Mike Castle (R).  Prior to the primary, most political forecasters rated the contest between Representative Castle and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D) a solid Republican pickup.

With Ms. O’Donnell now the nominee, Charlie Cook, Larry Sabato and Real Clear Politics give the edge to the Democrat in this race.  Polls conducted after the Delaware Republican Primary showed Mr. Coons leading Ms. O’Donnell by 16, 11, and 15 percentage points.  It seemed as if the Republicans’ chances for recapturing the Senate had decreased.

Then the Senate landscape changed again.  On September 14, Quinnipiac University released a poll …

We are now entering the homestretch of the 2010 elections.  Labor Day is usually considered the official kickoff of the fall campaigns.  With Labor Day now behind us, here is an overview 50 days before Election Day.

Midwest, Mountain West, Pennsylvania, and California matter the most.

Republicans are optimistic about winning in November.  To do so, they will need to perform well in the Midwest, Mountain West, Pennsylvania, and California.  This should be considered the battleground of the 2010 election.  Of the 49 House seats currently rated as a “Toss Up” by the Cook Political Report, 51 percent are from these areas.  Real Clear Politics currently rates 35 House seats as “Toss Ups” and 46 percent of them are located in these geographical areas and only one Republican seat makes this list.

California, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and Minnesota will host six of the most competitive gubernatorial races in …

Several weeks ago, we took a look at some of the most competitive Senate races across the country and broke down where the battle for control of the U.S. Senate will take place.  A lot has changed since then.

We noted that 12 Senate races currently had a candidate who led by less than eight percentage points in the Real Clear Politics polling average.   And of those 12 races, eight had a candidate leading by less than four percentage points – within the margin of error in polling.

Today, 14 races showcase a candidate leading by less than 10 percentage points.  Of those, seven races have a candidate leading by less than five percentage points – within the margin of error in polling.

Seven races should now be categorized as the most competitive in the country.  They include Wisconsin, Illinois, California, Washington, Florida, Colorado, and Nevada.  The leading …

Are you anxious to get your issues before Congress? Is it stressful to know that you’re just one of many organizations trying to do the same thing? With an unprecedented number of groups advocating for so many issues, you need to catch the attention of elected officials by recruiting and mobilizing your supporters in effective, innovative ways.

Government relations professionals, meet your new best friend: the AdvocacyApp for Facebook.

The first of its kind, the AdvocacyApp for Facebook allows users to take action on your alerts without leaving Facebook, as well as virally share your action alerts with their friends and via Twitter.  Then you can track activity in detail and fully integrate your Facebook efforts into your overall advocacy program.

Launched earlier this year, the AdvocacyApp has helped clients benefit from Facebook’s growing million-plus …

Follow DDC Advocacy

As we gear up for an exciting day at the races in November, the battle for control of the U.S. Senate is as competitive as it’s been in a long time.  Two of the best political forecasters, Real Clear Politics and Cook Political Report currently rate several Senate races as competitive.  Rasmussen Reports has polled on several races that confirm this current trend.

Twelve Senate races currently have a candidate who leads by less than eight percentage points, according to the most …