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Only one congressional seat Republicans captured in ‘10 is competitive this year, Dems say
By Jessica Wehrman Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Of the five U.S. House seats taken by Ohio Republicans in 2010, only one of them - the 6th district, currently held by Rep. Bill Johnson - has so far emerged on the Democrats’ list of competitive races for 2012.
The Marietta Republican upset then-Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, 14 months ago. Wilson has announced he will seek the seat again this year.
Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that the Johnson-Wilson race is one of 18 targeted “Red to Blue” races - races where Democratic challengers could unseat Republicans or win open seats - that Democrats see as competitive this year.
Democrats have also selected 18 other “Red to Blue” districts where they haven’t listed a Democratic candidate, but where they see the district as ripe for Democratic takeover. None of those districts are in Ohio.
But Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel noted that incumbent Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, whose home was drawn into the district currently held by Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, is considered a “Frontline” race. In December, Sutton was added to the DCCC “Frontline” program, which seeks to keep incumbents in office in tough districts.
Israel also said the party assumes the new Columbus area 3rd Congressional District will be won easily by a Democrat.
Still, Israel said, this was just the first roll-out of “Red to Blue” races, and he said the list may grow longer as the campaign season unfolds.
Israel cited recent poll results to indicate that Democratic House candidates might have an advantage in 2012. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week, for example, showed that voters would support a generic Democratic candidate over a Republican candidate in their district by four points.
“One year ago we had a gale force wind blowing against us,” he said. “Now we’ve got a nice wind blowing at our backs.”
Johnson was one of five Republicans to defeat Democrats in Ohio in 2010. Reps. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, and Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, also defeated Democrats.
Mark Weaver, a Johnson campaign spokesman, said it was “no surprise” that Democrats have targeted Johnson. “They don’t want him to continue his message of change in Congress,” he said.
He said Democrats’ optimism about their odds in 2012 is for naught.
“There is a lot of wind coming from the Democratic leadership, but it’s not a gale force,” he said. “It’s the hot air of incumbents desperate to keep politics as usual in Washington.”
The district has a pro-Republican “index” of about 54 percent.
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Comments
By Barack Hussein Obama
January 18, 2012 4:42 PM | Link to this
Elections have consequences
By Fred
January 18, 2012 3:29 PM | Link to this
Got just the slogan for you….”Hope and Change”