Could someone please tell me what these political terms mean?

Question

Safe seat, Open seat, and Incumbent. And what would be a good example for each.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Safe Seat is a seat were which ever party holds the seat it is unlikely that an opponent would upset the incumbent. Examples: Hillary Clinton in NY.

Open seat is one where there is no incumbent. So the seat is open. John Corzine's seat in NJ.

Incumbent means the person is running for re-election. Again Hillary in NY.

Answer 2

Too bad you did not list your state, so better examples could be given. An open seat means person that held it isn't running for re-election, so will give next Presidential Election as example, because both President and Vice Prudent are not running that will be wide open race. Not from Mass. but think it's safe to say that the person holding one Senate seat (the incumbent) is safe seat that example would be Ted Kennedy, if Spector was running in PA that would be safe seat, Sure there are number of Republican safe Senate Seats just can't think of any right now. If incumbent won number of times in the past without any major scandal the seat is usually considered considered safe. The exception is Santorium Casey Race Another way is if no one is formally running against a canidate.

Answer 3

I'm basically doing your homework now, aren't I?

Safe seat: a seat that will not change during Senate or H.R. Elections. Senators are elected for six year long terms during alternating years, so certain seats every two years will be open seats (1/3rds of the total seats), and others will be safe seats (2/3rds), which mean that the senator will not undergo an election at that time. Senator Boxer (D-CA) is a safe seat this year, and during the 2009 elections.

Open seat: a seat that will be subject to election. Senator Feinstein (D-CA) is an open seat this year.

An Incumbent is the 'challenger' of an election. They currently hold the position currently being voted on and seek reelection. Feinstein is the incumbent this year, being a Class I Senator. Barbara Boxer is a Class III Senator, who's safe until 2011. A Senator in a race wins a certain class seat, which expires six years after it's won. Class is not used for any other reason: each senator gets the same vote.

Unfortunately, Californians typically vote Democratic, so neither of these women are under any real pressure for now or in the next decade.

Answer 4

Incumbent is the person who has the job now. Example - Hillary Clinton. Her Senate seat is a "safe seat" for the Democrats because she is expected to win easily. Senator Bill Frist's seat in Tennessee is an "open seat" because he is not running, so both candidates are new guys.

Answer 5

open seat - the politician is not running for re-election so the current party in power and the party that wasn't in power are both putting new people up for election (foley because he resigned after the scandal.)
Incumbent - The person that was already in office running for re election (george bush last pres. election.)
Safe seat - likely means they are not up for re-election. (the elections go on cycles so there won't be a whole new congress every two years, different seats are up each election.)

Answer 6

incumbent - person who is the elected politician in a seat.
safe seat. when the incumbent has so much support that it is thought impossible for them to be voted out
open seat - not sure, does that mean anyone could win it?

Answer 7

Safe seat is occupied ... it will not be filled in the coming election.

Open seat - term is up and it will be voted on and filled in coming election.

Incumbent is the person who currently holds the office and is running for re-election.

Answer 8

sorry but my opinion is this if its political everbodys lieing about something all them fokes are some crooked mothers ever one of them is guilty of something im no saint by A long shot but thay are guilty and tell everone thay not lets put a everday person in office
and kick all thes millionairs out thay dont care about us this thear money