McCain Dragging Down GOP House Races (SLIDESHOW)
Republicans running for House races are getting no rides from John McCain's coattails this election cycle. See below for a long list and a slideshow of these GOP members. Read up on the GOP Senate candidates who are facing the same problem.
Chris Shays of Connecticut, the last Republican in the House of Representatives from New England, is used to running against the partisan tide. But this year, the wave might be too high for the Republican congressman to overcome.
Shays is just one of many GOP candidates trying to win by outperforming Sen. John McCain's underwhelming performance in congressional districts nationwide.
Read more from CNN.
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Even though this candidate doesn't need any help from John McCain to help sabotage her campaign, Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann deserves a spot in this round up. Bachmann made remarks that Obama may have "anti-American views." She also suggested a Congressional witch hunt is needed to find the un-american members. As a result, Bachmann's opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, netted $640,000 from nearly 13,000 people in the 48 hours after her comments. According to The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, he'll be putting that money towards a larger media campaign against Bachmann.
Watch Bachmann make the comments below:
California District 50: GOP Representative Brian Bilbray facing a tough challenge from Democrat Nick Leibham:
A building Democratic wave is about to hit San Diego beaches. The campaign of former prosecutor Nick Leibham is surging, and Leibham is now in a statistical dead heat with incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray, 42 to 44 percent...
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advertisementBarack Obama is also running strong in California's 50th Congressional District, leading John McCain by double digits (53 to 41 percent). The environment is now ripe for Democratic victories in a district George W. Bush won by 11 points - twice. Concerns about the economy dominate the political landscape, President Bush is more unpopular than ever, and five out of six voters think the country is off on the wrong track.
Arizona District 3: GOP Incumbent John Shadegg vs. Democrat Bob Lord:
A new poll released Friday shows a close race in the 3rd Congressional District, with Democratic challenger Bob Lord opening a 1-point lead over seven-term incumbent Republican John Shadegg.
The poll, conducted Oct. 6-8, asked 400 likely voters in the north Phoenix district to say who would get their vote if the general election were today. Forty-five percent responded that they'd back Lord, 44 percent Shadegg and 5 percent Libertarian Michael Shoen.
New York District 29: GOP Rep. John R. Kuhl Jr. vs. Democrat Eric Massa:
If all those numbers only confuse you, then I'll boil it down to a no-brainer conclusion: This race is going to be close again. We may well not have a clear winner by the morning of Nov. 5 or at least a candidate willing to concede. The outcome could remain undecided until absentee ballots are counted a week or more after the polls close.
So get ready for a final round of those robocalls and negative campaign ads, this race hinges on the undecideds, and if you're one of them, make sure you don't get turned off by homestretch. Get to the polls on Nov. 4 and vote. Your ballot is critical to both candidates.
Indiana District 3
: GOP Incumbent Mark Souder vs Democrat Michael Montagano:Nor is the pro-Obama surge enough - in itself - to carry congressional candidate Mike Montagano over Mark Souder. But Souder has two other elements working against him: Some conservatives and moderates alike who would normally vote for him don't like his vote in favor of the $700 billion bailout, and the Matt Kelty faction of the local GOP is still peeved that Souder withdrew his endorsement of Kelty - despite Kelty's guilty plea Monday.
One other trend we may notice on election night: Regular Republicans unexcited about their candidates at the top of the ticket - John McCain, Mitch Daniels, Souder - may decide to sit out the 2008 election.
Nebraska District 2: Republican Rep. Lee Terry vs Democratic candidate Jim Esch:
Nebraska's 2nd district: Nebraska gives out a single electoral vote for the winner of each of its three congressional districts and the Obama campaign has long had its eye on the 2nd district -- the most Democratic of the three seats in the state. A new poll conducted by John Anzalone for Democratic candidate Jim Esch statistically tied with Republican Rep. Lee Terry and, at the presidential level, Obama trailing McCain by just four points -- 48 percent to 44 percent. Given's Obama cash edge, he can make a real play for the 2nd district. Can McCain match it? MOVE FROM MCCAIN TO OBAMA
Virginia District 5: Virgil Goode vs. Tom Perriello:
The Fifth Congressional District race between incumbent Rep. Virgil Goode and Democrat Tom Perriello has grown tighter, a poll by Survey USA suggested Wednesday [Oct 8].
As the two well-funded candidates pepper the airwaves with advertising, Goode's lead stands at 55 percent to 42 percent, according to the poll's survey of 680 likely voters. They were interviewed by phone on Monday and Tuesday.
Texas District 10
: Rep. Michael McCaul vs. Larry Joe Doherty:When U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul first ran for Congress in 2004, his only Democratic challenger was a write-in candidate, and McCaul got 79 percent of the vote.
In 2006, McCaul faced an underfunded, low-profile Democrat and captured 55 percent.
Now Democrats are giving McCaul his toughest challenge yet in the form of Washington County lawyer Larry Joe Doherty, the former star of a TV courtroom show.
Katharine Zaleski is the Senior News Editor at Huffington Post. She can be reached at zaleski@huffingtonpost.com
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Huffington Post | Katharine Zaleski
First Posted: 10-21-08 12:37 PM | Updated: 11-21-08 05:12 AM