Last week, we unveiled our picks for the first ten cycles covered by the Cook Political Report’s paper issues (1984-2002). This week, we’re revealing our picks for the last ten cycles covered by our online issues (2004-2022).
To dive into the newly digitized archives of the Cook Political Report is to be transported to political places and times that are difficult to imagine today — when local newspaper endorsements and civic affiliations (rather than social media platforms and super PACs) were key influencers of vote choice, and split-ticket voting was the norm, not the exception. That’s not to say races were any less negative or tumultuous than they are today. But the contours of the House battlefield were much broader and less predictable from year to year.
To mark the occasion, I’ve tried my best to compile a list of the single defining House race of every cycle dating back to 1984. In sifting through the archives, there are cycles when there were so many fascinating contests it was truly difficult to choose just one. But in collaboration with
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Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.