Political Trivia for Jan. 10

[Ron Burgundy]

CQPolitics - What percentage of House members who sought re-election in 2006 were successful?

(a) 94 percent
(b) 92 percent
(c) 90 percent
(d) 87 percent

Answer: 94 percent. According to an analysis by CQPolitics.com, 404 House members sought re-election in 2006 (including those who won special elections prior to the Nov. 7 election and were seeking for a full term) and 31 House members retired, sought other office or resigned from seats that were vacant on Nov. 7. Of those 404 House members who sought re-election, 380 were successful -- or 94.1 percent. This high rate occured even though 24 House members -- an unusually high number by the standards of recent election cycles -- were defeated for re-election, including one Democrat and one Republican who lost in primary elections; twenty-two House Republicans and no House Democrats were defeated in the general election. Still, the 94 percent marked a dip in the rate of incumbent job security: The re-election rate among House incumbents who sought re-election in 2004 exceeded 98 percent.