I thought I’d have some fun and make predictions about our Senate candidates. If elected, which sitting senators would they most resemble? Let’s take a look.
Alabama: -State Senator Vivian Figures
Figures is an African-American woman who is making the most news recently for her efforts to pass a smoking ban through the Alabama senate. She is an extreme longshot to unseat Sen. Jeff Sessions and she has not raised a significant amount of money. She does not resemble any sitting senator. If elected, her parochial concerns would most resemble Mary Landrieu’s, but she would represent something totally new and basically unheard of in the U.S. Senate.
Alaska: -Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich
Begich is contesting Sen. Ted Stevens seat. If elected, expect him to focus on ethics and energy. He’d most closely resemble Sens. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Tim Johnson of South Dakota. If we’re lucky, he’d have a little Sen. Jon Tester of Montana flavor, as well.
Colorado: -Congressman Mark Udall
Rep. Mark Udall represents liberal Boulder, Colorado. He’s strong on the environment and works on science-related issues. If elected he will probably continue his work on our Armed Services, particularly related to the Air Force. He’d probably resemble a more conservative version of Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Georgia: -2006 Lt. Gov. nominee Jim Martin
Assuming Martin wins a crowded primary, he’d probably most resemble fellow Vietnam Vet Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.
Idaho: -Former Congressman Larry LaRocco
LaRocco is hard to characterize. He has ties to the legendary Sen. Frank Church. He’s served in Congress before. He’s not exactly new blood, but he’s not old school either. He might have a little Russ Feingold in him, but he also will be constricted by the extreme conservative nature of the Idaho electorate. I’d expect him to be eclectic. His voting record might look something like Evan Bayh’s until you really examine it. And then it might look more like a crusading reformer’s.
Kansas: -Former Congressman Jim Slattery
Slattery is another former Congressman. He has a reputation as a budget hawk and should expect him to be one of those hard working senators that really focuses on the nuts and bolts of fiscal policy and policy making. Think Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Nothing flashy, but very effective.
Kentucky: -Former state Commerce Secretary Bruce Lunsford
Lunsford would probably fit into the category of Democrat that we’ve all grown frustrated with. Part Joe Lieberman, part Ben Nelson, part Evan Bayh, part Tom Carper, part Harold Ford Jr. The guy is barely a Democrat.
Maine: -Congressman Tom Allen
Rep. Allen is a middle-of-the-road New Democrat who specializes in budgetary matters. He’d closely resemble Sen. Marie Cantwell of Washington. Hopefully, he’d be more like Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota than Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware.
Minnesota: -Commentator Al Franken
Former comedian and radio personality Al Franken has no specific political expertise. It’s hard to know how he would be utilized other than as a balance to Sen. Klobuchar. Based on his personality and professed opinions I’d expect him to be one of the more liberal members of the caucus. I’d also expect him to use Paul Wellstone as a personal role-model and Russ Feingold as a mentor. He has a bit of the iconoclastic flavor of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Yet, to know what kind of senator he would become, I’d have to know what kind of committee assignments he would get.
Mississippi-A: -Former State Representative Erik Fleming
Rep. Fleming is a socially conservative black man, who would be quite a novelty in the Senate.
Mississippi-B: -Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove
Musgrove would be somewhere between Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Fmr. Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia (in his saner incarnation). He’d almost certainly be the most conservative member of the caucus. He’s also got a great chance of winning.
Nebraska: -2006 Congressional Nominee Scott Kleeb
Kleeb would represent a new generation of Democrat. No one currently serving in the Senate is more like Kleeb than Jon Tester. But Kleeb would probably accumulate a better voting record than Tester.
New Hampshire: -Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen
Shaheen would fall somewhere between Sen. Stabenow of Michigan and Sen. Feinstein of California. Her experience as a governor would give her added respect and gravitas among the freshman class. But her politics and instincts are cautious and centrist.
New Mexico: -Congressman Tom Udall
Tom Udall is more liberal than his cousin Mark from Colorado. He’d be a new aggressively pro-environment progressive voice in the Senate. I see him as something like a Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon or Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
North Carolina: -State Senator Kay Hagan
Think Sen. Diane Feinstein, only younger.
Oklahoma: -State Senator Andrew Rice
Think of a younger, Christian version of Russ Feingold, but with a much more conservative state to represent. Does that make sense? Rice would probably serve on the Foreign Relation committee and focus on ecumenical concerns in the State Department.
Oregon: -House Speaker Jeff Merkley
Merkley would probably fit into the Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland mold. Expect him to serve on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and rake in dough from Labor, Teachers, and Nurses. He’s kind of a blue-collar liberal, but he’s also a natural leader, as evidenced by his current position as Speaker of the House. In that respect, he might resemble Sen. Dick Durbin.
South Carolina: -Engineer Bob Conley
Conley is far to the right of any sitting Democratic senator. He more closely resembles the recently elected southern representatives Dan Cazayoux and Travis Childers than any Democrat currently serving in the Senate. I guess he’s a little like Zell Miller, although that’s probably an unfair comparison.
Tennessee: -Former TN-Dems Chair Bob Tuke
Tuke is another Vietnam vet. And, unsurprisingly, he’d more nearly resemble Sen. Jim Webb than anyone else.
Texas: -State Representative Rick Noriega
Rep. Noriega served in Afghanistan. I cant think of any sitting Senator that he’d really represent. He’d bring something totally new and valuable to the caucus.
Virginia: -Former Governor Mark Warner
I think Warner would represent a kind of blend of Sen. Rockefeller of West Virginia and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. He’s very much an Establishment candidate, with all the good and bad that comes with that.
