Republicans swept into office tonight in two special congressional elections that were closely watched as indicators of what is to come as the parties battle for control of Congress in 2008. Despite high profile and well funded efforts, Democrats walked away empty handed.
Special congressional elections are frequently looked to as indicators of the political and issue trends that will influence the next general election.
Since the Democrats took control of Congress earlier this year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has been squeezing the DC lobbying establishment hard for cash, with a good amount of success.
Despite the well funded Democrat campaign, Republicans won tonight with congressional candidate Bob Latta in Ohio's 5th district. Liberal Democrat Robin Weirauch drew support from the DCCC, Nancy Pelosi, Charlie Rangel, EMILY's list, Governor Ted Strickland, and a host of other Democrats and liberal interest groups. It wasn't enough.
In Virginia's 1st district, Republican Rob Wittman tonight defeated Democrat Philip Forgit. Democrats had claimed that recent gains in the Virginia state legislature set the stage for new Democrat activism in the Old Dominion. With two candidates, each with little name identification, battling over an open Congressional seat, Democrats had an opportunity to make a gain, but to no avail.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma issued twin statements congratulating Congressmen-elect Latta and Wittman tonight.
Democrats will try to explain away the Republican victories by claiming that these were Republican districts that elected Republicans - no news story. Of course, such claims ignore the fact that Democrats made a major play to take Ohio's 5th district, and passed up the opportunity to make any gain in Virginia.
They'll also bypass the fact that in the heavily Democratic 5th district in Massachusetts, Republican Jim Ogonowski nearly took the seat despite a 14-point advantage in registration for the Democrats earlier this year.
Going into 2008, Democrat congressional candidates will have to contend with a political environment where Nancy Pelosi's and Harry Reid's unpopular Democrat Congress is only a hindrance, while solidly Republican issues of lower taxes and keeping America on the offensive in the global war on terror are resonating with voters, as demonstrated tonight.
