Northeastern House Republicans In Serious Danger This Fall
New York Times:
Across the increasingly Democratic Northeast, Republicans are in danger of losing half a dozen or more Congressional seats in November, as even districts once considered safe have become vulnerable to well-financed Democrats, according to political analysts and members of both parties.
In Connecticut, Representative Christopher Shays, a 10-term incumbent who barely won re-election two years ago, is facing what both parties and independent analysts agree is a tough battle.
On Staten Island, the retirement of Vito J. Fossella, who was arrested in Virginia on drunken-driving charges and later admitted to fathering a child in an extramarital affair, has combined with discord among local Republicans to give Democrats their best chance of winning the district in decades.
And in New Jersey, the retirement of two Republican incumbents, Michael Ferguson and Jim Saxton, opened seats in swing districts where Democratic candidates are far ahead of their Republican rivals in fund-raising.
The Republican Party's challenges in the nine-state Northeast region are a reflection of what the party faces across the country as it is being forced to defend dozens of Congressional seats that are now considered competitive at a time when the party has limited financial resources, political analysts said.
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First Posted: 08-13-08 11:11 PM | Updated: 09-13-08 05:12 AM