About The Associated Press

The Associated Press 212-621-1500
Associated Press
The Associated Press

Contact Us | Video | RSS | Mobile

Daily Photo Galleries

Tuesday - June 18, 2013

Politics Photo Galleries

Strategists: Dems must retake state seats, reach out to moderates

BOSTON — After back-to-back presidential losses, Republicans in key states want to change the rules to make it easier for them to win.

From Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, GOP officials who control legislatures in states that supported President Obama are considering changing state laws that give the winner of a state's popular vote all of its Electoral College votes, too. Instead, these officials want Electoral College votes to be divided proportionally, a move that could transform the way the country elects its president.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus endorsed the idea this week, and other Republican leaders support it, too, suggesting that the effort may be gaining momentum. There are other signs that Republican state legislators, governors and veteran political strategists are seriously considering making the shift as the GOP looks to rebound from presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Electoral College shellacking and the demographic changes that threaten the party's political prospects.

“It's something that a lot of states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red ought to be looking at,” Priebus told the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, emphasizing that each state must decide for itself.

Democrats are outraged at the potential change.

Obama won the popular vote with 65.9 million votes, or 51.1 percent, to Romney's 60.9 million and won the Electoral College by a wide margin, 332-206 electoral votes. It's unclear whether he would have been re-elected under the new system, depending upon how many states adopted the change.

While some Republican officials warn of a political backlash, GOP lawmakers in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are already lining up behind proposals that would allocate electoral votes by congressional district or something similar.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he “could go either way” on the change and doesn't plan to push it. But he said it's a reasonable issue to debate and that he prefers that leaders discuss it well before the next presidential election.

“It could be done in a thoughtful (way) over the next couple years and people can have a thoughtful discussion,” Snyder said.

Republican leaders in the Michigan Statehouse have yet to decide whether to embrace the change. State Rep. Peter Lund, a Republican who introduced a bill to change the allocation system two years ago, said some Republicans might be more receptive to his bill this year following the election.

“We never really pushed it before,” he said, adding that the bill wasn't designed to help one party more than the other.

Democrats aren't convinced. And they warned of political consequences for Republicans who back the shift.

1. Pens’ Shero talks with Letang’s agent
2. NHL insider: Penguins’ Shero seems ready to move Letang
3. Judge deals setback to Steelers’ quest to expand Heinz Field
4. Contractor charged with failing to use grant for Jeannette building
5. Bethel Park offensive lineman picks Pitt
6. Steelers rookie safety Thomas learning from Polamalu, Clark
7. Girl injured in ATV accident in Butler County
8. Pitt adds defensive recruit from Philadelphia
9. Penguins notebook: Pens talking with Dupuis’ reps
10. City police investigating whether officer who gave ride to mayor’s ex-bodyguard broke any department regulations
11. Army National Guardsman sues Target, claims he was fired while preparing for deployment

Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.