The Dems and the Repubs have made their choices:
Jon Elrod’s reputation as a hard worker with a track record of winning elections in districts that favor Democrats earned him the Republican nomination to fill the 7th Congressional District seat Sunday.
…
His opponent in the March 11 special election is Andre Carson, whom Democrats selected Saturday to run for the seat held by his grandmother, Julia Carson, until her death last month.
Both decisions were made by party committees, not by the public. The GOP probably got their strongest candidate (relatively speaking), while we wound up with just about our weakest. I’m not thrilled. One diarist at Blue Indiana is even less happy. And CQ rates this seat – which is D+8.7 – at just “Lean Dem.”
Note, though, that the special election, which is on March 11th, is not on the same day as the primary for the November general. The primary will be held as previously scheduled on May 6th. That means that whether Carson wins or loses the special, he might not be our nominee this fall. (Elrod, on the other hand, is unopposed in the GOP primary.)
I hate to be a wet blanket, but recent history in this district – plus the only known poll on the race – doesn’t make me sanguine. I just hope we don’t wind up with another MA-05 on our hands – or worse.