Tue. May 6, 2008The Hotline's Briefing on House Races

Spotlight

Not So Well 'Heeled

As primary challenges against Patrick McHenry (R-NC 10), Walter Jones (R-NC 03) and Dan Burton (R-IN 05) appear to have fizzled, there's really only one race to watch in tonight's IN and NC primaries.

-- That's in IN-07, where 2-month Rep. Andre Carson (D) faces stiff competition from ex-IN Health Commis. Woody Myers (D), who's spent over $1.8M. With Barack Obama focusing on pumping up Indy turnout, this race is impossible to predict, but Carson appears to have gotten better as a candidate, and the DCCC, who sided with Carson, doesn't appear worried, as it hasn't stepped in at all.

-- Don't expect much more action in these two states in the fall, as the GOP suffered colossal recruiting failures against freshmen Joe Donnelly (D-IN 02), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN 08) and Heath Shuler (D-NC 11). Pres. Bush took an average of 58% in those CDs in '04, and for GOPers to miss on recruiting in those seats is a huge disappointment. And on the Dem side, '06 NC-08 nominee Larry Kissell hasn't exactly lit it up, either.

-- So, for states that saw so much action in '06, it'll be a relatively quiet primary day. And for both parties, the general threatens to be the same.

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