Mid-Term Blue Wave: Pacific Coastal

 All the states with shoreline on the Pacific Ocean according to Mrs. Spore!  A relatively easy call.  Most of them share one characteristic, they are liberal, progressively governed places with just one exception.  Alaska has been home to Republican rule in recent years.  However, even Alaska prefers an independent voice over a party yes man (or woman), as Senior Senator Lisa Murkowski demonstrated by winning her 2018 campaign with a write in vote, after party games got her name removed from the ballot!  In this cycle, only Alaska and Oregon have elections.

And so lets go from north to south and start with Alaska.  As stated, Alaska's Senior Senator is Lisa Murkowski.  In the state of Alaska, she is truly an institution.  Perhaps the only politician what a greater claim to the title would be Ted Stevens who served almost 7 complete terms from his appointment in 1968 to his election defeat in 2008.  Lisa Murkowski's own career in the Senate began with her appointment to complete the term started by her father after he was elected Governor in in 2002.  Like her father she is grounded in an old school republicanism that was fiscally conservative, but socially moderate.  A live and let live by balance your checkbook and don't buy frivolous things on credit mentality.  The very same one that I learned from my parents and led them to re-elect Michigan Governor William Millikin throughout my tween and teen-aged years.  The present incumbent Junior Senator is a carpetbagger from Ohio who moved to Alaska.

Washington's Senior Senator got her seat campaigning as one of the ultimate outsiders--a tennis shoe wearing angry mom!  That back in 1992 which was lauded as the Year of the Women in the U.S. Senate.  She came on board with Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein (both from CA) and Caroline Mosley Braun from IL.  She joined Nancy Kasselbaum from KS and Barbara Mukulski from MD.  Six!  Six women in 1992 was shocking.  Maria Cantwell, the Junior Senator was first elected in 2000.

Like Washington, Oregon's Senators are longtime members of the Senate.  Senior Senator Ron Wyden was first elected in 1996 to finish the term vacated with Republican Senator Bob Packwood resigned in disgrace.  The Junior Senator is Jeff Merkley and he was elected for the first time in 2008, and is one his way to a 4th term in this cycle.  It's really lovely that both of these men feel at home in the Senate; however, I believe that it's also time for new blood.  Neither are standouts.

No election in California where both Senators are among the least tenured in the country.  Both are in their first terms.  Senior Senator Alex Padillla is the first Hispanic Senator for a state with a huge Hispanic minority.  Junior Senator Adam Shiff made his dime on leading the impeachment of Donald Trump...twice!

Hawaii's Senior Senator is Drian Schatz.  Generally a quiet presence in the Senate, though of late he's taken to upping his profile on the floor.  The Junior Senator, Mazie Hirono, is known for her passionate orations on the floor, and for surviving cancer while serving as Senator.  

Index Time

By Demographic Category

GENDER 5 out of 10 -- 50; current score 40

RACE 3 out of 10 -- 30; current score 20

RELIGION 1 out of 10 -- 10; current score 10

DISABILITY 0 out of 10 -- 0.0; current score 0.0

Diversity index 45 up from 35

Average Age 66.4 down from 66.8