August 22, 2006
House Race Hotline Update; Coattails
What kind of coattails will House members running for SEN and GOV provide to their down-ballot ticket-mates? Nine members sought higher office last cycle, but all left behind safe seats. This cycle, 15 are running up-ballot -- and many of their former CDs are key GOP battlegrounds:
-- CO 07: Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) surprised many in '02 when he won the Dem-leaning open seat. But will his ex-primary challenger, Rick O'Donnell (R), get a boost from his GOV run?
-- IA 01: Rep. Jim Nussle (R) won 8 terms in a CD that voted for Clinton, Gore and Kerry. Can restaurateur Mike Whalen (R), a political neophyte, repeat the successful formula?
-- MN 06: Rep. Mark Kennedy (R) only received 54% in '04 against Patty Wetterling (D), running behind Bush. Was that a sign of Wetterling's strength, or will state Sen. Michele Bachmann (R) improve on that number? (Also, Bush travels to MN today; will that help or hurt Bachmann?)
-- Will these GOPers primarily campaign outside the CD, believing they've got their home base sown up? Or will they spend increased time helping their party's Congressional hopefuls [JOSH KRAUSHAAR] 
Posted at 11:50 AM
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