Top state parties with the worst track records

[illegaloperation]

Which top state parties have records of losing the most number of winnable races?

For example: do not list the Utah Democratic Party because most of those races are not winnable for Democrats.

[They not like us]

The following come to mind:

Maine Democratic Party: Maine is a pretty center-left state, but they have a Republican Governor and a Republican Senator. While Maine Republicans aren't terrible and Maine voters aren't exactly the most partisan/most likely to vote straight ticket, it wouldn't be difficult for the Maine Democrats to take the state.

West Virginia Republican Party: Do I need to explain this? Tomblin and Manchin aren't typical Democrats, but WV seems to defy the "Southern states are hardline Republicans" stereotype.

Florida Democratic Party: I don't think I need to explain this one either.

Virginia Republican Party: Or this one. They just run really, really bad candidates.

Ohio Democratic Party: See Florida. They don't run bad candidates, they're just poorly managed come election time.

[illegaloperation]

Florida Democratic Party takes the cake for not being able to win anything. Its best candidate for governor is a former Republican (not that I am complaining since Crist is a fine governor)

Ohio Democratic Party looked like it was doing fine until a total wipeout in 2010.

Maine Democratic Party is actually doing fine in my opinion. The only reason it doesn't control the governorship is because of vote splitting. As for Collins, she has been there for so long and is moderate enough that she's hard to defeat.

Virginia Republican Party - the whole ticket looks like it is heading for defeat later this year

West Virginia Republican Party is gaining strength, but it looks like only now is the preference for Republicans is tricking down the ballot. West Virginia has been entirely Democratic controlled for so long.

[barfbag]

Florida and Maine Democrats come to mind. What about Missouri Republicans?

[publicunofficial]

Washington Republicans
Kentucky Republicans (Non-Federal offices)
Wisconsin Democrats

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

NHGOP. Losing nearly all of your 2010 momentum during the next election cycle is beyond unacceptable.

[Zioneer]

Which top state parties have records of losing the most number of winnable races?

For example: do not list the Utah Democratic Party because most of those races are not winnable for Democrats.

Technically, at least one of them each election cycle is; the one Jim Matheson would be running for, if he did run.

And if you take a look at the hilariously in-depth ethics troubles our current AG has, there's a possible opening in 2016 (or 2014 if he resigns early enough...)

[NewYorkExpress]

New York... both parites are horrible... it's a wonder anyone even makes it onto the ballot with our arcane election laws.

Sepcial mention goes to NYC democrats who somehow couldn't beat Guliani or Bloomberg.

[Flake]

Florida Democratic Party

[Zioneer]

Definitely the Ohio Democratic party; what happened to them in 2010, srsly? Even after they lost, couldn't they have tried to weaken the GOP gerrymander a bit?

[illegaloperation]

Florida Democratic Party

Florida Democratic Party takes the cake: its bench is near empty and it has a loosing streak.

Charlie Crist is a godsend, yet the Democrats there are grumbling.

[illegaloperation]

Definitely the Ohio Democratic party; what happened to them in 2010, srsly? Even after they lost, couldn't they have tried to weaken the GOP gerrymander a bit?

How can it do that?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Illinois GOP was suppose to win the governorship with Dillard or Rutherford. After not beating Quinn in 2010 they would have lost a winnable race. Honorable mention goes to Iowa after what seem to be Chet Culver race in 2006, Dems haven't fielded a good governor choice.

[Skill and Chance]

Definitely the Ohio Democratic party; what happened to them in 2010, srsly? Even after they lost, couldn't they have tried to weaken the GOP gerrymander a bit?

How can it do that?

The Republicans needed 2/3rds at one point in the process, to stop an initiative challenge to the map.  However, GOP fear of the initiative wasn't high enough to force a non-partisan map.  It won't be in the future either because a separate non-partisan initiative was voted down in 2012.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Next year it'll be 20 years since the Minnesota GOP got over 50% in a statewide election. That has to be a record amongst all states for either party failing to get over 50%. (Yes, even with Utah and Idaho, a Democrat got 56% for State Controller in Idaho in 1998 and 52% for Attorney General in Utah in 1996.)

[Flake]

I think I'll also add the Kentucky Democratic party.

[publicunofficial]

I think I'll also add the Kentucky Democratic party.

6/9 statewide offices, control over half the legislature, and a decent chance of taking down Mitch McConnell is pretty damn good. And their history is even better.

[dmmidmi]

Next year it'll be 20 years since the Minnesota GOP got over 50% in a statewide election. That has to be a record amongst all states for either party failing to get over 50%. (Yes, even with Utah and Idaho, a Democrat got 56% for State Controller in Idaho in 1998 and 52% for Attorney General in Utah in 1996.)

When I saw the title for this thread, the Minnesota GOP was what immediately came to mind. Even in 2010, their biggest win was picking up a House seat--a seat they lost two years later. For a state that so many people insist is "moving to the right," the state party is incredibly incompetent.

For what it's worth, the Michigan Democratic Party blew MI-01 last year, along with all of the court nominees they were backing, Proposition 2, completely failed to recruit a candidate for MI-11, and made marginal gains in the state legislature in a Presidential election year. Their leadership needs to do some serious reflection before 2014.

[Maxwell]

The Montana Republican party is just shameful.

[Gass3268]

Surprised that the Nevada Republican Party hasn't been named yet. It essentially doesn't exist. They have good officials out there, but they pretty much on their own with no local party support. 

[nolesfan2011]

Worst GOP parties in terms of struggling in winnable states. Montana, Nevada, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia and maybe Mizzou.  WV GOP is probably the worst of those if you ask me.

Worst Dem parties in the same boat are Florida, Maine,New Jersey (Train wreck of a party post Corzine). New Mexico and Iowa dems aren't that great either

[Skill and Chance]

How about the ND GOP?  Losing an open seat senate election in a state as partisan GOP as MA or CA is Dem in a non-wave year is pretty bad.

[Brittain33]

I don't understand why the Delaware GOP isn't more competitive in non-federal races. Is it the fault of the national GOP's reputation?

[Stranger in a strange land]

I don't understand why the Delaware GOP isn't more competitive in non-federal races. Is it the fault of the national GOP's reputation?

No, it's the fault of the DE-GOP primary electorate:

[hopper]

How about the ND GOP?  Losing an open seat senate election in a state as partisan GOP as MA or CA is Dem in a non-wave year is pretty bad.

No but ND has had a good history of electing Dem Senators with Conrad/Dorgan/Burdick though. Conrad's win in '86 was a huge upset though. Conrad was little known before 1986.It should be noted Conrad was only supposed to be one-term but Burdick passed away so Conrad filled Burdick's seat. Dorgan actually took Conrad's old seat!

Only Hooven's win in 2010 broke the Dem streak of winning US Senate Seats in ND.