With President Obama’s decision to appoint GOP Rep. John M. McHugh as the Secretary of the Army, his fellow Democrats will look to shrink the number of Republicans in the 31-member New York congressional delegation from three to two .
The district is right next to the one just narrowly held by Democrats in the special election to replace Sen. Kristen Gillibrand.
Democrats are already hoping that a candidate will show up who can help them replicate the success they enjoyed last month with Scott Murphy.
The distract may be tougher for Democrats, especially as the bailout train keeps rolling in Washington and unemployment remains relatively high, especially in New York, but as with the Murphy race, it will all come down to the candidates.
In Murphy’s district the GOP nominated a statehouse slickster who didn’t live in the district and was often evasive in his answers. Murphy, by contrast, ran as a centrist Democrat whose wife’s family had deep connections in the district and also boasted private-sector success as an entrepreneur.
If the GOP can’t do any better, they will continue to lose ground in upstate New York.
It goes to show the impact that having the former head of the DCCC as a the president’s chief of staff can have. Other swing district Republicans may want to get their resumes to Rahm Emanuel’s office if they’re looking for a career change.
UPDATE:
DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer says the committee is trying to keep it real: “With the right candidate this district is winnable, but it will be tough. Our focus is on working with local Democrats to begin the process of recruiting a strong candidate,” he said in a statement to The Examiner.
And with McHugh holding the seat since 1992, Democrats haven’t tried to play in the conservative-leaning district in a long lime. But despite some obvious problems of late, Democrats will be looking for ways to make a play. And if the GOP comes across with another bad nominee, their odds will only improve.
