United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 House election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 2010 to elect the state's At-large Representative to the United States House of Representatives
. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the person elected will serve in the 112th Congress
from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. North Dakota
has one seat in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census.
The election was held concurrently with the United States Senate elections of 2010 (including one in North Dakota
), the United States House elections
in other states and various state and local elections.
dominance in Presidential elections in North Dakota (which hasn't voted Democratic since 1964
) as well as state and local elections, Democrats
have since the late 1980s achieved several consecutive victories in Congressional elections in the state. Democrats have held the state's at-large House seat since 1981 when Incumbent Republican Representative Mark Andrews retired from the House of Representatives to run for and subsequently win election to the Senate in 1980
. Following the 1986 Congressional elections, Democrats gained North Dakota's Class III
U.S. Senate seat in addition to having already held the state's other Senate seat, thus giving Democrats control of both its U.S. Senate seats for the first time in North Dakota's history. From 1987 to date, North Dakota has had a completely Democratic Congressional delegation
.
Since first being elected in 1992, incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy has won reelection, sometimes with difficulty, but usually by comfortable margins. However with Democrats fighting in a much tougher political environment in 2010, Republicans plan on putting forward a serious challenge. Republicans running against him include state Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer, state Representative Rick Berg, and former University of Mary football coach Paul Schaffner. Pomeroy will likely be more vulnerable than usual due to his support for the Democratic House Healthcare bill, which 64% of North Dakotans opposed, and President's Obama declining job approval ratings in the state (of which 39% approve and 58% disapprove, with 45% strongly disapproving).
†Internal poll (Garin-Hart-Yang for Pomeroy and Public Opinion Strategies for Berg)
Debates
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the person elected will serve in the 112th Congress
112th United States Congress
The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January...
from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
has one seat in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census.
The election was held concurrently with the United States Senate elections of 2010 (including one in North Dakota
United States Senate election in North Dakota, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator...
), the United States House elections
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
in other states and various state and local elections.
Background
Despite RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
dominance in Presidential elections in North Dakota (which hasn't voted Democratic since 1964
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
) as well as state and local elections, Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
have since the late 1980s achieved several consecutive victories in Congressional elections in the state. Democrats have held the state's at-large House seat since 1981 when Incumbent Republican Representative Mark Andrews retired from the House of Representatives to run for and subsequently win election to the Senate in 1980
United States Senate election in North Dakota, 1980
The 1980 U.S. Senate election for the state of North Dakota was held November 4, 1980. The incumbent, Republican Senator Milton Young, was retiring. Republican Mark Andrews defeated North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate Kent Johanneson to fill the vacated seat...
. Following the 1986 Congressional elections, Democrats gained North Dakota's Class III
Classes of United States Senators
The three classes of United States Senators are currently made up of 33 or 34 Senate seats. The purpose of the classes is to determine which Senate seats will be up for election in a given year. The three groups are staggered so that one of them is up for election every two years.A senator's...
U.S. Senate seat in addition to having already held the state's other Senate seat, thus giving Democrats control of both its U.S. Senate seats for the first time in North Dakota's history. From 1987 to date, North Dakota has had a completely Democratic Congressional delegation
United States congressional delegations from North Dakota
-United States Senate:-United States House of Representatives:...
.
Since first being elected in 1992, incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy has won reelection, sometimes with difficulty, but usually by comfortable margins. However with Democrats fighting in a much tougher political environment in 2010, Republicans plan on putting forward a serious challenge. Republicans running against him include state Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer, state Representative Rick Berg, and former University of Mary football coach Paul Schaffner. Pomeroy will likely be more vulnerable than usual due to his support for the Democratic House Healthcare bill, which 64% of North Dakotans opposed, and President's Obama declining job approval ratings in the state (of which 39% approve and 58% disapprove, with 45% strongly disapproving).
Republicans
- Rick BergRick BergRichard Alan Berg is the U.S. Representative for . Berg serves on the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the state House of Representatives. He served as Majority Leader and Speaker.-Early life, education, and pre-political career:Berg...
, North Dakota State RepresentativeNorth Dakota House of RepresentativesThe North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate....
and former state House Majority Leader - J.D. Donaghe, oil field consultant
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Earl Pomeroy (D) | Rick Berg (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies† | October 24–25, 2010 | 42% | 51% | - | - |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 18–19, 2010 | 42% | 52% | 1% | 5% |
| The Hill/ANGA | October 16–19, 2010 | 45% | 44% | - | 9% |
| Prairie Poll | October, 2010 | 43.5% | 33.6% | - | - |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 20–21, 2010 | 45% | 48% | 1% | 5% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang† | September 10–12, 2010 | 46% | 44% | - | - |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 10–11, 2010 | 44% | 53% | 1% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 21, 2010 | 46% | 49% | 1% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 15–16, 2010 | 44% | 51% | 1% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 19, 2010 | 43% | 52% | 2% | 3% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 20, 2010 | 45% | 49% | 2% | 4% |
| Rasmussen Reports | March 23–24, 2010 | 44% | 51% | 1% | 4% |
| Rasmussen Reports | February 9–10, 2010 | 40% | 46% | 3% | 11% |
†Internal poll (Garin-Hart-Yang for Pomeroy and Public Opinion Strategies for Berg)
Results
External links
- Elections and Voting at the North Dakota Secretary of State
- U.S. Congress candidates for North Dakota at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- 2010 North Dakota General Election: Rick Berg (R) vs Earl Pomeroy (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- House - North Dakota from the Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
- North Dakota - At-Large from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- 2010 North Dakota - 1st District from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Debates
- North Dakota House Debate on C-SPANC-SPANC-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, October 4, 2010 (26:42)