Divided Districts

Split-District House Members Targeted

Republican Rep. Dan Lungren of California has always been a reliable conservative. That was true when he served in the U.S. House for a decade beginning in 1979, when he was state attorney general for most of the 1990s, and after he returned to the House in 2005. And it's still true today: Lungren is a steady and staunch opponent of President Obama's agenda.

While Lungren has remained in place, however, the political landscape around him has shifted. In November 2004, when Lungren made his House comeback, he won his suburban Sacramento district with a solid 62 percent of the vote. At the same time, President Bush carried the district with a resounding 52,841-vote margin over Democratic nominee John Kerry. [more]

Lawmakers From Purple Districts Walk Thin Line

President Obama's activist agenda has forced two-term Democratic Rep. Zack Space to make tough choices between party loyalty and the conservative sensibilities of his constituents. Space's mostly rural district in eastern Ohio leans Republican. Obama lost it to GOP presidential nominee John McCain, 53 percent to 45 percent. And until a few days before the 2006 election, it was represented by six-time Rep. Bob Ney, a Republican who resigned over his role in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. [more]