Go Quote by Harry Enten

Numerous candidates lose their first White House race and try again four years later - but all of them do so after running surprisingly…

— Steve Kornacki

A key reason that elections are run so badly is that in most states, political partisans are in charge.

— Adam Cohen

Incumbents rarely face major primary challengers. Those who even get one do so because they're not beloved within at least part of their party.

— Harry Enten

In the House, Republican prospects have been buoyed by several successful rounds of redistricting, which have sharply reduced the number of competitive seats and…

— Thomas E. Mann

The Republicans tend to choose the candidate who came in second place in the last election, and Democrats tend to move on. Ask President…

— Brian Schweitzer

What does seem to matter for winning a primary is when candidates get into the race compared with their competitors.

— Harry Enten

Close elections tend to break toward the challenger because undecided voters - having held out so long against the incumbent - are by nature…

— Ron Fournier

It's just a lot safer to be an incumbent. So I think they have used the campaign finance reforms. They have passed laws that…

— David Brooks

To some extent it [Mr. Bush's standing in the polls] is affecting the races, but only because the races really haven't begun. At some…

— John Brabender

The reason I entered the election race was to promote reforms. For us who engage in business, we will be severely affected if financial…

— Takafumi Horie

The reapportionment of 2002 designed congressional districts that favored incumbents of both parties, leaving virtually no room for challengers to be elected. Of 435…

— Dick Morris

Candidates are up one day, down the other. Candidates' fortunes turn on a dime. They can be determined by a good or bad debate…

— Ana Navarro