Don’t call it a comeback, he’s been here for years:
Barely a month out of office, former Rep. Steve Chabot has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to run for his old congressional seat.
Chabot confirmed to The Enquirer in an exclusive interview Thursday that he is indeed gearing up for a re-match against Rep. Steve Driehaus, the Democrat who beat him 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent in last November’s election.
“Yes, I intend to run and I intend to win,” Chabot said, speaking from his law office in Westwood.
Chabot said he decided to run again because of the outpouring of support from constituents and a feeling that the massive stimulus package being considered in Congress is not the way out of the current economic crisis.
Sort of surprising that Chabot wants to claw his way back into John Boehner’s playpen so soon — I believe he is the first defeated incumbent of 2008 to definitively announce plans for a rematch. While Driehaus will have to stay on his game (or perhaps even elevate it, given his rather mediocre ’08 fundraising record), rematches like this one are seldom successful.
And by that, I mean he is going to raise less money while his opponent raises more, only to beat him by a larger margin in 2010 when there are stronger coattails pulling for Democrats. (Strickland + OH-Sen)
He can’t come back from a margin that large unless Driehaus really screws up. And from what I’ve seen of him, Driehaus is a really good fit for the district.
At least of the defeated members considering a rematch I wouldnt be totally opposed to Chabot, unlike say Sali or Goode.
But I’d like to see 2008 Rethug candidates like Bill Sali, Virgil Goode, Marilyn Musgrave, Tom Feeney, Randy Kuhl, Andy Harris, Tim Walberg, and Marty Ozinga run again.
Baron Hill in 2006 came back after losing in 2004. I don’t think a single comeback effort worked in 2008 although at least four 2006 close losers became winners (Larry Kissell, Dan Maffei, Eric Massa, and Mary Jo Kilroy).
Brian Bilbray was elected in 1994 then lost but came back in another district in 2006.
Just off the top of my head, there’s Bilbray (mentioned above) and Dan Lungren, who made a comeback in 2004 after going into state office in 1990.
Doug Ose, who took over from Lungren, ran in the primary for CA-04 this cycle.