Projo Politics Blog

The Web site of Congressional Quarterly has come out today with an analysis of a dozen U.S. Senate races next year in which Democrats will be trying to keep their jobs.

And Rhode Island should easily go Republican.

Just kidding.

Rather, CQPolitics.com reports that Rhode Island is among six states rated as "safe Democratic." The others are Massachusetts, Illinois, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan.

"Two factors that can influence a race rating are incumbency and a state’s political leanings, and these circumstances are working in favor of the Democrats in these six states,'' says the CQPolitics.com article. "All six senators have won at least two Senate elections, and they took an average of 67 percent of the vote in the 2002 election."

Up for re-election in 2008 in Rhode Island is Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, who easily won election to his second term in 2002.

Elected to the second Senate seat forRhode Island last fall was Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who defeated Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee in a close race that drew national attention.

Rhode Island's two congressmen, Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin, are also Democrats.

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