2016 Ideal Democratic candidates if Hillary is the nominee?

[User157088589849]

2008/2012 we saw the impact of the presidential race on the senate elections. They are all very vulnerbale seats with the right candidate and the conditions are ideal to unseat senators running for re-election. So who are the best democrats if Hillary is the nominee?

Illinois - Mark Kirk vs ?
Missouri - Roy Blunt vs ?
New Hampshire - Kelly Ayotte vs ?
North Carolina - Richard Burr vs ?
Ohio - Rob Portman vs ?
Pennslyvania - Pat Toomney vs ?
Wisconsin - Ron Johnson vs ?

[IceSpear]

IL - Lisa Madigan
MO - Jay Nixon
NH - Maggie Hassan/John Lynch
North Carolina - Roy Cooper
Ohio - Tim Ryan
Pennsylvania - Joe Sestak/Kathleen Kane
Wisconsin - Russ Feingold

[henster]

Illinois - Mark Kirk vs Lisa Madigan/Tammy Duckworth
Missouri - Roy Blunt vs Jason Kander(Nixon is damaged)
New Hampshire - Kelly Ayotte vs Maggie Hassan
North Carolina - Richard Burr vs Anthony Foxx
Ohio - Rob Portman vs Richard Cordray
Pennslyvania - Pat Toomney vs Joe Sestak
Wisconsin - Ron Johnson vs Ron Kind
Iowa - Chuck Grassley vs Tom Vilsack

[User157088589849]

Since this thread is for ideal candidates, I'll include candidates who I don't think will run.

Illinois - Lisa Madigan (but I don't think she'll run)
Missouri - Not sure anymore. I think Nixon is damaged goods. Maybe Jason Kander?
New Hampshire - Either John Lynch (who I don't think will run) or Maggie Hassan (who I have doubts about)
North Carolina - Anthony Foxx? I think him, with Cooper clearly gunning for Governor.
Ohio - Tim Ryan or Richard Corday? I don't think either would beat Portman, though, unless the environment is putrid for Republicans.
Pennsylvania - Tough one. I think Kane is damaged, and she was supposed to be the Pennsylvania Democrats' star. Their bench isn't stellar, but maybe Shapiro? Rendell would be great, but I doubt he runs.
Wisconsin - Feingold or Kind. I'm sure there are others who could beat Johnson as well.

You don't think the democrats can make Ohio or North Carolina competitive even in a presidential year?

[moderatevoter]

Where did I say that?

I am not that familiar with the Democratic bench in North Carolina. I certainly think the Democrats can win the NC seat if the environment is good for them, because Burr is pretty low-key and anonymous.

I'm again not too familiar with the Democratic bench in Ohio, but I think Portman is a strong incumbent, who'd start out as a favorite. But, as I said before, Portman can be beaten if the environment is bad for Republicans.

[LeBron]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

[Niemeyerite]

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Do you think soon-to-be Gov. Ed FitzGerald could be a good candidate?

[Dixie Reborn]

Also in Alabama Bobby Bright would be a great candidate, since there is a significant chance that Senator Shelby will fall to a Tea Party challenger. In Georgia, Democrats could run John Barrow, since Hillary's potential coattails could raise his floor, and he'd be able to consolidate much more white support than an average Dem.

[NHLiberal]

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

Chris Koster, the AG, seems to be most interested in the Governor's seat. I don't think Nixon is necessarily too damaged now, as the election is two years away and this (unfortunately) won't be a salient issue in 2016 that many voters are thinking about. But if Nixon doesn't run, Kander would probably be best for the Senate seat and Zweifel could run for another statewide office, maybe LG.

[Miles]

Since this thread is for ideal candidates, I'll include candidates who I don't think will run.

Illinois - Lisa Madigan (but I don't think she'll run)
Missouri - Not sure anymore. I think Nixon is damaged goods. Maybe Jason Kander?
New Hampshire - Either John Lynch (who I don't think will run) or Maggie Hassan (who I have doubts about)
North Carolina - Anthony Foxx? I think him, with Cooper clearly gunning for Governor.
Ohio - Tim Ryan or Richard Corday? I don't think either would beat Portman, though, unless the environment is putrid for Republicans.
Pennsylvania - Tough one. I think Kane is damaged, and she was supposed to be the Pennsylvania Democrats' star. Their bench isn't stellar, but maybe Shapiro? Rendell would be great, but I doubt he runs.
Wisconsin - Feingold or Kind. I'm sure there are others who could beat Johnson as well.

You don't think the democrats can make Ohio or North Carolina competitive even in a presidential year?

I have serious doubts about knocking off Portman, but NC is very much within Democrat's reach, especially if Burr retires.

Cooper is running for Govenor and one of the other stars in the party, State Sen. Josh Stein is running for the open AG seat.

These are the top names:

- Anthony Foxx (of course)
- Treasurer Janet Cowell
- Auditor Beth Wood
- Brad Miller

He's new to the State Senate, but I really do think Sen. Jeff Jackson has impressed people on both sides of the aisle. He's younger and I can surely see him running for higher office in the future.

[Vega]

Anthony Foxx would be a top notch Senate candidate. 

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

IL: Madigan wants to be Governor, so that leaves Congressman Mike Quigley as our strongest candidate (although Duckworth and Shelia Simon may run too, but neither would be nearly as strong).

MO: Jason Kander would be my choice, but Zweifel would also be a strong candidate.  Does Missouri do recalls?  Maybe someone can start a Dump Nixon campaign

OH: Actually, I've heard Strickland may well run for Senate despite what he's saying right now and he is basically a perfect candidate to face Portman in a Presidential year.  Sutton may run, but she'd get steam-rolled.  Carney and a bunch of the rising state legislators are looking to run for various statewide offices in 2018.  Ryan could win, but I don't think he's interested.  Cordray would probably win, but I've heard he is really happy with his current job and if he decides to run for anything in the future, it'll be Governor.  

PA: I guess Joe Sestak, although Josh Shapiro seemed like he could be a pretty good statewide candidate (although I don't know that he's be ready to take on Pat Toomey, but just a thought).

WI: Feingold may or may not run (I personally think he will and specifically wants to beat Johnson), but if he does then the seat is basically his for the taking.  Otherwise it'll probably be Ron Kind, but I actually think Johnson will put up a pretty tough fight against Kind (although he'll still lose, but this isn't one to take for granted, especially without Feingold).

NH: Lynch, but he won't run.  Maggie Hassen is probably our best bet, but I don't know who else.  Kuster and Shea-Porter don't strike me as Senate material.  Maybe Sawx has some ideas.

NC: Anthony Foxx or Janet Cowell

FL: Patrick Murphy (if not him, Gwen Graham could be good if she wins this year)

IA (if Grassley retires): Vilsack is rumored to be planning to run no matter what Grassley does, so...

AZ: Greg Stanton would be my pick

LA: The Democratic field begins and ends with Mitch Landrieu, but I think he's more interested in running for Governor

[LeBron]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

OH: Actually, I've heard Strickland may well run for Senate despite what he's saying right now and he is basically a perfect candidate to face Portman in a Presidential year.  Sutton may run, but she'd get steam-rolled.  Carney and a bunch of the rising state legislators are looking to run for various statewide offices in 2018.  Ryan could win, but I don't think he's interested.  Cordray would probably win, but I've heard he is really happy with his current job and if he decides to run for anything in the future, it'll be Governor.  

I really don't think Strickland will run. He considers his current as CAP Action President a dream job, and he hasn't been as active in Ohio politics this year that Ohio Democrats were expecting him to be. Not only that, but he'll be 75 in 2016, and Voinovich retired from the Senate at 74. While he would be an awesome candidate against Portman, it's too late in the ballgame for him to be reviving his elected political career in Ohio again.

I definitely see Sutton as one of the top potential candidates to run. She was prepared to run for Governor, but opted not to, to give FitzGerald a clean road to the nomination. Sutton wouldn't be the best, but she would be better than Hagan any day.

The really awesome thing about Ryan and Boccieri though is that they live in the same district, OH-13. Boccieri has publicly stated he would love to run for office again if his wife lets him, so it would be cool if Ryan agreed to run for Senate if Boccieri agreed to replace him in the House. Ryan in a Presidential year would be strong enough to beat Portman, to.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

OH: Actually, I've heard Strickland may well run for Senate despite what he's saying right now and he is basically a perfect candidate to face Portman in a Presidential year.  Sutton may run, but she'd get steam-rolled.  Carney and a bunch of the rising state legislators are looking to run for various statewide offices in 2018.  Ryan could win, but I don't think he's interested.  Cordray would probably win, but I've heard he is really happy with his current job and if he decides to run for anything in the future, it'll be Governor.  

I really don't think Strickland will run. He considers his current as CAP Action President a dream job, and he hasn't been as active in Ohio politics this year that Ohio Democrats were expecting him to be. Not only that, but he'll be 75 in 2016, and Voinovich retired from the Senate at 74. While he would be an awesome candidate against Portman, it's too late in the ballgame for him to be reviving his elected political career in Ohio again.

I definitely see Sutton as one of the top potential candidates to run. She was prepared to run for Governor, but opted not to, to give FitzGerald a clean road to the nomination. Sutton wouldn't be the best, but she would be better than Hagan any day.

The really awesome thing about Ryan and Boccieri though is that they live in the same district, OH-13. Boccieri has publicly stated he would love to run for office again if his wife lets him, so it would be cool if Ryan agreed to run for Senate if Boccieri agreed to replace him in the House. Ryan in a Presidential year would be strong enough to beat Portman, to.

Boccieri probably won't run; my understanding is that his wife really doesn't want him to run for anything that would put him back in D.C.   And even if he did, he'd be much better off running against Gibbs or Renacci.  Ryan has a young kid and I don't know that he even wants to be Senator, tbh.  I'm not saying Strickland will run.  I'm just saying don't read to much into his previous announcement about not running since he's still thinking very hard about running (i.e. probably won't make his actual decision for quite a while).  Sutton would be better than Hagan, but she has basically no appeal to people beyond the Democratic base outside of the Copley area (where she's from and is pretty popular, AFAIK).  If she couldn't beat Renacci then she doesn't stand a chance against Portman.

[Mr. Illini]

For Illinois, I am not on the Lisa Madigan bandwagon. I think there is a ton of talent in the Chicago area congressional districts that can be in the Senate some day. I'm looking for a Robin Kelly, Tammy Duckworth, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez, or Cheri Bustos (the only non-Chicago area) nomination. They are all incredibly talented.

[CountyTy90]

For Illinois, I am not on the Lisa Madigan bandwagon. I think there is a ton of talent in the Chicago area congressional districts that can be in the Senate some day. I'm looking for a Robin Kelly, Tammy Duckworth, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez, or Cheri Bustos (the only non-Chicago area) nomination. They are all incredibly talented.

I would love for Cheri Bustos to run for Senator. I think she would be a moderate; maybe a Blue Dog? I think she would also do well in Downstate Illinois; they wouldn't consider her just another Chicago Democrat.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Kind v Johnson

Cordray v Portman

Sestak v Toomey

Robin Kelly v  Kirk/b]

[Mr. Illini]

For Illinois, I am not on the Lisa Madigan bandwagon. I think there is a ton of talent in the Chicago area congressional districts that can be in the Senate some day. I'm looking for a Robin Kelly, Tammy Duckworth, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez, or Cheri Bustos (the only non-Chicago area) nomination. They are all incredibly talented.

I would love for Cheri Bustos to run for Senator. I think she would be a moderate; maybe a Blue Dog? I think she would also do well in Downstate Illinois; they wouldn't consider her just another Chicago Democrat.

I'm sure she would be taken as a Blue Dog, but she's not really that moderate.

[LeBron]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

OH: Actually, I've heard Strickland may well run for Senate despite what he's saying right now and he is basically a perfect candidate to face Portman in a Presidential year.  Sutton may run, but she'd get steam-rolled.  Carney and a bunch of the rising state legislators are looking to run for various statewide offices in 2018.  Ryan could win, but I don't think he's interested.  Cordray would probably win, but I've heard he is really happy with his current job and if he decides to run for anything in the future, it'll be Governor.  

I really don't think Strickland will run. He considers his current as CAP Action President a dream job, and he hasn't been as active in Ohio politics this year that Ohio Democrats were expecting him to be. Not only that, but he'll be 75 in 2016, and Voinovich retired from the Senate at 74. While he would be an awesome candidate against Portman, it's too late in the ballgame for him to be reviving his elected political career in Ohio again.

I definitely see Sutton as one of the top potential candidates to run. She was prepared to run for Governor, but opted not to, to give FitzGerald a clean road to the nomination. Sutton wouldn't be the best, but she would be better than Hagan any day.

The really awesome thing about Ryan and Boccieri though is that they live in the same district, OH-13. Boccieri has publicly stated he would love to run for office again if his wife lets him, so it would be cool if Ryan agreed to run for Senate if Boccieri agreed to replace him in the House. Ryan in a Presidential year would be strong enough to beat Portman, to.

Boccieri probably won't run; my understanding is that his wife really doesn't want him to run for anything that would put him back in D.C.   And even if he did, he'd be much better off running against Gibbs or Renacci.  Ryan has a young kid and I don't know that he even wants to be Senator, tbh.  I'm not saying Strickland will run.  I'm just saying don't read to much into his previous announcement about not running since he's still thinking very hard about running (i.e. probably won't make his actual decision for quite a while).  Sutton would be better than Hagan, but she has basically no appeal to people beyond the Democratic base outside of the Copley area (where she's from and is pretty popular, AFAIK).  If she couldn't beat Renacci then she doesn't stand a chance against Portman.

The problem there is, in order to face Gibbs or Renacci, he would have to rent or buy a home in an area outside of Alliance (his wife would go against that fast), and even then, he would be framed as a carpetbagger. However, last year Boccieri did express interest in running for OH-13 if it was open if Ryan ran for Governor, so it's possible. His wife wants him to stay away from DC to focus on their new family they have, but she knows that Boccieri wouldn't have to campaign much at all to win in OH-13, and it would be simply a matter of moving back to DC which they should be able to come to some sort of agreement on.

As for Ryan, 2016 isn't 2006. The ODP had tons of other candidates back in 2006 to run against DeWine, but Ryan is the top notch candidate this time. Since then, Ryan's funds have increased greatly, and his name ID isn't all that bad (3 in 10 Ohioans know who he is). He's probably aware of the risk involved (losing his House seat and place on the Appropriations Committee to run for Senate), but once PPP polls here again, I think he just might be encouraged to at the very least set up an exploratory committee.

Keep in mind though, Sutton lost to Renacci because Republicans placed her in a new district that included about half of Renacci's old district, but little of Sutton's old district. That and a lot of outside spending for Renacci. Even then she only lost by 4. Now having a liberal Northeasterner facing a pragmatic, southern Republican may not be the best, but she's a great debater and a great fundraiser. I would be willing to give her a shot against Portman, and would actively campaign for her.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Before I give my list, guys, Cordray won't run. He'll still be CFPB Chairman by that point which he likely won't give up until the end or near the end of his term. If Kasich gets re-elected, the ODP will be relying on him more for Governor in 2018.

Illinois - Madigan seems to be better prepared to run for Governor in 2018; whether it's open from Quinn's retirement or she's running against Rauner. In that case, presumptive Comptroller Sheila Simon would be a top notch candidate if she wins this year or a huge field out of Robin Kelly, Duckworth, Giannoulias or Hynes as backup candidates.

Missouri - Nixon is too damaged now to beat Blunt, but Clint Zweifel and Jason Kander would be the top 2 picks. One could run against Blunt and one could run for the open Governor seat.

New Hampshire - Maggie Hassan, of course. Seeing as how Governor's serve two year terms up there though, she might just run for re-election unless Ayotte retires to run for President. In that case, I see Attorney General Joe Foster or Rep. Ann Kuster running for the seat.

North Carolina - Anthony Foxx would be fresh out of the Obama Administration, but I'm not sure if he would be interested plus that reputation wouldn't bode over well in NC. Janet Cowell, Josh Stein, and Elaine Marshall would be the best options, probably.

Ohio - Soon-to-be former State Rep. Bob Hagan, a far leftist, already declared, but he can't win and we desperately need another candidate besides him. Portman's approval was about only 38% in Feb. 2014, so he still hasn't recovered yet from SSM and the background check vote. Like I've said before though, he does have the benefit of being the Vice Chair of the NSCC, so he's well-funded and would be hard to beat. X and I already discussed this and we eliminated most of the "Wiki possibilities", but my best guess right now is one of the 2014 down-ballot statewide candidates who run a great race this year (Turner, Carney) or one of the former U.S. Representatives (Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri). Our bench isn't the best, but it keeps us all going.

Pennsylvania - Democrats might as well stick with Sestak to try and pull this off, and if not, then a good handful of the PA 2014 Governor candidates would be stellar. Boyle and Cartwright would also work. Wolf and Rendell could beat Toomey, but neither of them will run.

Wisconsin - Don't rely on Feingold. He wasn't willing to run against Walker or for that matter run to fill Kohl's seat, so in the meantime going into 2016, WI Democrats should try and get their next best candidate, Ron Kind. He's a great fundraiser and popular among Democrats and Independents. He could definitely beat Johnson. If Kind doesn't run, then Vinehout, Barca or Pocan would be the next best recruitments.

OH: Actually, I've heard Strickland may well run for Senate despite what he's saying right now and he is basically a perfect candidate to face Portman in a Presidential year.  Sutton may run, but she'd get steam-rolled.  Carney and a bunch of the rising state legislators are looking to run for various statewide offices in 2018.  Ryan could win, but I don't think he's interested.  Cordray would probably win, but I've heard he is really happy with his current job and if he decides to run for anything in the future, it'll be Governor.  

I really don't think Strickland will run. He considers his current as CAP Action President a dream job, and he hasn't been as active in Ohio politics this year that Ohio Democrats were expecting him to be. Not only that, but he'll be 75 in 2016, and Voinovich retired from the Senate at 74. While he would be an awesome candidate against Portman, it's too late in the ballgame for him to be reviving his elected political career in Ohio again.

I definitely see Sutton as one of the top potential candidates to run. She was prepared to run for Governor, but opted not to, to give FitzGerald a clean road to the nomination. Sutton wouldn't be the best, but she would be better than Hagan any day.

The really awesome thing about Ryan and Boccieri though is that they live in the same district, OH-13. Boccieri has publicly stated he would love to run for office again if his wife lets him, so it would be cool if Ryan agreed to run for Senate if Boccieri agreed to replace him in the House. Ryan in a Presidential year would be strong enough to beat Portman, to.

Boccieri probably won't run; my understanding is that his wife really doesn't want him to run for anything that would put him back in D.C.   And even if he did, he'd be much better off running against Gibbs or Renacci.  Ryan has a young kid and I don't know that he even wants to be Senator, tbh.  I'm not saying Strickland will run.  I'm just saying don't read to much into his previous announcement about not running since he's still thinking very hard about running (i.e. probably won't make his actual decision for quite a while).  Sutton would be better than Hagan, but she has basically no appeal to people beyond the Democratic base outside of the Copley area (where she's from and is pretty popular, AFAIK).  If she couldn't beat Renacci then she doesn't stand a chance against Portman.

The problem there is, in order to face Gibbs or Renacci, he would have to rent or buy a home in an area outside of Alliance (his wife would go against that fast), and even then, he would be framed as a carpetbagger. However, last year Boccieri did express interest in running for OH-13 if it was open if Ryan ran for Governor, so it's possible. His wife wants him to stay away from DC to focus on their new family they have, but she knows that Boccieri wouldn't have to campaign much at all to win in OH-13, and it would be simply a matter of moving back to DC which they should be able to come to some sort of agreement on.

As for Ryan, 2016 isn't 2006. The ODP had tons of other candidates back in 2006 to run against DeWine, but Ryan is the top notch candidate this time. Since then, Ryan's funds have increased greatly, and his name ID isn't all that bad (3 in 10 Ohioans know who he is). He's probably aware of the risk involved (losing his House seat and place on the Appropriations Committee to run for Senate), but once PPP polls here again, I think he just might be encouraged to at the very least set up an exploratory committee.

Keep in mind though, Sutton lost to Renacci because Republicans placed her in a new district that included about half of Renacci's old district, but little of Sutton's old district. That and a lot of outside spending for Renacci. Even then she only lost by 4. Now having a liberal Northeasterner facing a pragmatic, southern Republican may not be the best, but she's a great debater and a great fundraiser. I would be willing to give her a shot against Portman, and would actively campaign for her.

I think Ryan has a three year old, and so he isn't running for anything tough in the near future.  It'll be Strickland or Sutton.  Sutton just doesn't have any cross-over appeal.  Renacci is an extremely weak incumbent and she still couldn't win.