Two weeks ago, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) announced her plans not to run for re-election. Considering that Pryce defeated Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by a razor-thin margin in 2006 in a district with a PVI of R+1.1, this seat was already going to be competitive in 2008. But as an open-seat, it quickly looked like one of the best prospects for a Dem pickup.
And now things just keep getting better for our side as it appears that the NRCC is having trouble fielding a candidate in the race:
Northeast Ohio native and former Attorney General Jim Petro has ruled out a run for Congress, setting his sights instead on Ohio's next Supreme Court chief justice. Party leaders, including House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio, had urged Petro, a moderate Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006, to run next year for a seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce of suburban Columbus.
And shortly afterwards:
Former Mayor Greg Lashutka said today he will not seek the GOP nomination in 2008 for the 15th Congressional District seat being vacated at the end of next year by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce, an Upper Arlington Republican. Lashutka ruled out a run about an hour after former Attorney General Jim Petro said he will not seek the congressional seat, leaving local GOP officials scrambling for a candidate against Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, the favoried Democrat who narrowly lost to Pryce in 2006.
This comes on the heels of two other recruitment failures for the NRCC as State Sen. Steve Stivers and State Rep. Jim Hughes both turned down a race for the seat.
(h/t Buckeye State Blog)
Let’s see, the GOP has:
1) A hugely unpopular President, with
2) A shambles of a cabinet, including today’s resignation (push out the door) of AG Gonzalez, and
3) A potential for the 2008 Presidential race to be lop-sided, and
4) The possibility of the Presidential election hurting candidates down-ballot, and
5) Internal bickering within the GOP as the moderates try to reassert their voice within the party.
If you were a right-leaning person considering a career in politics, why would you cut yourself in for a piece of that action? Easier to lay in the weeds for a cycle or two and try later.
Now is the time for new Dems to be coming out of the woodwork. 2008 looks like it could be the new 1976.
Must be a bad day for the GOP, because the district itself is really quite 50-50 between the two major parties here, which means that the GOP should not have a huge disadvantage.
Look, a very well respected republican has kept OH-3 (Dayton) for a good long while, and that turf is more difficult for the GOP that OH-15 should be. When potential candidates in what should be a pretty even-steven proposition are virtually running away from the race, then I would say it is a very bad day for the GOP.