Many Tea Party candidates are fizzling with their fundraising — an early sign they might struggle to upend the entrenched incumbents they’re challenging in this year’s primary elections. A number of more conservative candidates running against Republican incumbents have failed to impress in their most recent year-end fundraising reports. Meager hauls came from many Tea Party challengers, including Senate candidates in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and South Dakota who had been hoping to pull upsets, as well as from congressional candidates challenging Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.)/Cameron Joseph and Alexandra Jaffe, The Hill. More here.

Question: Are the results of the 2013 Coeur d'Alene School Board and municipal elections an indication that the influence of the local Tea Party is beginning to slip?