The paper thin loss Democrats suffered Tuesday in an Ohio House race that has long been held by Republicans is being spun into a virtual win by the Democratic National Committee’s head Tom Perez.
In fact, he is so upbeat about the signs in the loss that he is fund raising on it.
Perez emailed supporters, “The mere fact that this race is this close is good news for Democrats. Trump won this district by 11 points in 2016, and it hasn’t been represented by a Democrat in Congress for nearly four decades. If we’re keeping it this close in this district now, it’s a good sign for our chances across the country this November.”
Below is his full note:
OH-12 wasn’t supposed to be competitive, — but last night proved Democrats can close the gap anywhere, even in the reddest districts.
Now, the mere fact that this race is this close is good news for Democrats. Trump won this district by 11 points in 2016, and it hasn’t been represented by a Democrat in Congress for nearly four decades. If we’re keeping it this close in this district now, it’s a good sign for our chances across the country this November.
There are dozens of seats on the line in November that are major red-to-blue opportunities — and more than 60 Republican-held congressional districts currently rate more competitive for Democrats than OH-12. No matter what the outcome is in OH-12, we’ve proved we can compete and fight for every vote in every one of those districts — as long as we have the resources.
It’s never been a more important time to stand with Democrats. So I’m asking:
Will you contribute $3 right now to help Democrats win in November? We are counting on you to turn out as many voters as we can to flip as many districts as possible this year.
In order to regain a majority in the House this November, we have to organize in every ZIP code to fight for every last vote. The razor-thin margin of this special election is a reminder that each and every vote could be the difference between winning and losing in November, and we can never take anything for granted. We must give this everything we’ve got — starting right now.
Contribute $3 right now if you’re ready to elect Democrats in all 50 states this year. Your contribution will support Democrats as we work to take back the House and win up and down the ballot.
Thanks for stepping up to help Democrats compete everywhere — even in red districts like OH-12.
Tom
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee
