April 22, 2008
AP: Hackett wins; Will Face Carney
In one of the GOP's best pickup opportunities in the country, the party picked OneSource Staffing Solutions owner Chris Hackett (R) over Pride Mobility Products Pres. Dan Meuser (R). With 90% of the precincts reporting, Hackett received 52% to Meuser's 48%.
Late last week, four businessmen revealed that Hackett told them in '07 that he was pro-choice. Hackett vehemently denied the charges, but ex-Sen. Rick Santorum (R) -- a Meuser supporter -- went onto a radio program in the CD to confirm the businessmen's story. In a socially conservative CD, that could've proved to be fatal, but Hackett survived the "April Surprise."
It's not clear how big an effect the story had on the final results, but in a contest where both candidates had similar position on most issues, it had the possibility to be a defining issue.
Nat'l GOPers have been excited about taking on Rep. Chris Carney (D) since after he won the GOP-heavy CD in '06 after a scandal engulfed Rep. Don Sherwood (R). Many consider his win a fluke, and believed he'd be one of the easiest Dems to knock off in '08. But Carney hasn't made too many mistakes and pays close attention to his CD.
With the GOP nod now settled, Hackett can focus his attention, and his money, against Carney. And simply because the CD is so GOP -- Pres. Bush won 60% in '04 -- Carney's vulnerable. This will be one of the GOP's top targets in '08, but it won't be easy for GOPers.
(TIM SAHD)
Posted at 11:35 PM
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