Forty Years of Nonpartisan Analysis by The Cook Political Report

Since 1984, the Cook Political Report has been the definitive source for nonpartisan political analysis. But in the days long ago, before there was Google or blogs or Instagram, the Report was only available in print, and was physically delivered to subscribers. By the 1990s, a typical edition of the Cook Political Report could run more than 100 pages of analysis, race ratings, polling summaries and At-A-Glance charts that listed every candidate running for House, Senate and Governor.

Now, thanks to the magic of technology, and to the hard work of the Cook Political Report staff and interns, these paper documents are available online in a searchable database.

What struck me as I perused through these documents was the consistency of the Cook Political Report’s analysis. I’m often asked how our team is able to remain nonpartisan in an era where the political media often pushes a perspective instead of offering objectivity. The answer is pretty simple: This is who we’ve always been.

Since 1984, our approach has remained the same. We research the data, candidate quality and demographics and talk to the most plugged-in sources, campaign professionals and campaign committees. A lot has changed since 1984, but our commitment to providing you with the right analysis for getting it right has never wavered.

This project would not have been possible without the strategic vision and year-long attention of Chief Operating Officer Kathryn Hamm and Managing Editor Ally Flinn. Or without the editorial staff who have helped to build — and build upon — the solid foundation set by founder Charlie Cook, including former analysts Elizabeth Wilner, Jennifer Duffy, and Chris Cillizza. And though I had my own turn with the House (‘97-’07), I would be remiss not to underscore the groundbreaking analysis and data visualization that Senior Editor David Wasserman, now in his 17th year, contributed along the way.

What’s in it?

• Print editions from 1984-2002 (searchable PDF)
• All final CPR House Race Ratings from 1984 to present 
• All final CPR Senate Race Ratings from 1984 to present
• All final CPR Governor Race Ratings from 1984 to present
• All final Electoral College Ratings (since 1988)
• Historic Cook PVI values since 1997

How This Works

Subscribers can access our final CPR Race Ratings by visiting the House, Senate, Governors, or Electoral College rating pages. When logged in, the "select a year" drop-down menu can be used to access previous versions of the chart.

The Cook Political Report published print issues from 1984 to 2002, and all copies of the reports can be found here. If you want information about an election after 2003, we recommend using our search function to find a candidate or district. Then, you can filter the search results by year or tag.

What You Can Find

Besides looking up a particular race or candidate, the race ratings archives chronicle the shift in the two parties’ geographic coalitions.  For example, the final House Ratings for the 1990 election show a Republican Party still dominant in the suburbs of Northern Virginia and Philadelphia. 

As late as 2000, Republican Senate candidates in Vermont and Rhode Island were still favored in our Senate Race Ratings. 

And, of course, Democrats in the 1990s and early 2000s were still prevalent in what are now GOP strongholds in downstate Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas and rural North Carolina.

The searchable database allows you to find what we wrote about political figures whose careers have long since passed. Here’s what Charlie Cook wrote about a young Bill Clinton’s race for Governor in 1984.  

Or, what about politicians who have recently reappeared on the scene? Here’s what we wrote about then-candidate Joe Lieberman, the current leader of the independent “No Labels” organization, and his first race for the Senate back in 1987.

In early 2000, we dubbed the then-state Senator, now U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, an “A” recruit for the NRCC.

Most of all, we want to thank you, our subscribers, for making our work possible. A lot has changed since 1984, but our commitment to providing you with the right analysis for getting it right has never wavered.