Class of ’94 Part 4: Lost Re-election/Renomination 1st Half

Here’s part 4 of my series on the 1994 House elections.

Andrea Seastrand, Santa Barbara: When Michael Huffington ran for the Senate, Seastrand defeated Walter Capps by .8% and lost in 1996 in a less Republican year after being targeted by the unions.  She’s currently director of the California Space Authority.  

Bob Barr, Atlanta Suburbs: After very narrowly losing the primary runoff for U.S. Senate in 1992 won by Paul Coverdell, Barr won the primary for this seat by about 14 points, then defeated five and a half term incumbent George Darden by 4.  In Congress, he was very conservative, but not actually that libertarian before losing due to redistricting in a primary with John Linder in 2002.  He somehow became a libertarian while out of office.  

Mike Flanagan, Chicago: Recently deceased Dan Rostenkowski, who had been in office since 1959, was in a bit of a corruption scandal, eventually ending up in prison.  Mike Flanagan is probably the only Republican from this class I would have voted for, due to the corruption.  Flanagan won by six point, but lost by 28% in 1996 after a non-corrupt candidate, Rod Blagojevich (oh wait…) was nominated.  

John Hostettler, W. Indiana: Hostettler defeated six-term incumbent Frank McCloskey by 4%, lasting until 2006, when he was crushed by Brad Ellsworth due to wingnuttieness/allergy to fundraising

Jim Longley, Coastal Maine: Longley won a close open seat race by 4% after Tom Andrews ran for the Senate vs. Olympia Snowe.  He lost by ten points to Tom Allen in a more neutral year, 1996.  

Dick Chrysler, C. Michigan: Chrysler won an open seat by seven points and lost the next cycle to Debbie Stabenow by ten percent.  He was/is a flat taxer, but I don’t really know much about him.

Dick Chrysler replaced Bob Carr in the House from Michigan.

Gil Gutknecht, S. Minnesota: Gutknecht cruised to victory by ten points in this rural open seat.  He was a more moderate Republican.  In 2006, he ran for re-election, violating his six-term pledge.  His aides edited his Wikipedia article to make him look good, always a bad idea.  He lost by six points to Tim Walz.

Bill Martini, C. Jersey: Martini defeated freshman Herb Klein by one percent due to the year’s GOP lean and lost his seat two years later in a reversion to the mean in this blue-ish district; he lost to Bill Pascrell by 3%.  He’s now a US District Judge for NJ.

Mike Forbes, Long Island: Four-term incumbent George Hochbrueckner (what a mouthful) was defeated by typical NY moderate Michael Forbes, losing by six percent.  Forbes broke publicly with Newt Gingrich in 1996 and became a Democrat in 1999.  However, he lost the primary by 35 votes in 2000 to a 71-year old librarian.  Shades of Parker Griffith?

Daniel Frisa, Long Island: Frisa defeated the more moderate freshman David Levy in the primary and went on to cruise to election.  He was challenged by lifelong Republican Carolyn McCarthy after voting to repeal the Assault Weapons Ban in 1996, winning by 17%.  

Sue Kelly, Upstate NY: 13-term moderate Hamilton Fish retired, letting Kelly cruise to election in a historically Republican district over Fish’s Democratic son.  She was narrowly defeated by John Hall in 2006.  Her connection to Mark Foley helped do her in, along with the blue wave of the year.  

Dave Funderburk, Research Triangle Suburbs: Funderburk won an open seat by twelve percent, but lasted only one term, losing to Bob Etheridge.  I don’t know anything about him.  

Fred Heineman, Durham: Heineman narrowly defeated incumbent David Price and lost two years later by a wider margin.  He died in March.