Republicans won two seats yesterday that gave a boost to the NRCC and deflated the hopes of DCCC.
Good news indeed for the Grand Old Party that has needed some good news.
The Republican brand image is still struggling in the polls, especially in Ohio, where a hangover from the Taft years has stubbornly persisted. Bob Latta’s victory is especially sweet, because in that district, Democrats thought they had an edge. Gov. Strickland carried the district in the last election, as did Sherrod Brown.
The Virginia victory, while not unexpected, still blunted any headway that the Democrats were making in the Old Dominion.
Republicans continue to dodge disaster as they win special election after special election. In tennis, you usually can’t win your match unless you hold serve. Republicans are holding their serve.
Illinois-14 is the next race on the Democrat radar screen. It’s Denny Hastert’s old seat, and while it was reliably Republican for Hastert, Illinois has been trending blue. Jim Oberweis is the favorite to replace Hastert, and he should have all the resources he needs to win. But this is no sure thing for the GOP, and the NRCC is once again working it hard.
All told, yesterday was a good day for House Republicans, allowing them to exhale for the moment. But the political pros at the NRCC can’t relax even for a day as they gear up for the next challenge on the horizon.