Hey Kossacks,
I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer. Later this week I'll have an extended report on my travels with a well-known Congressional candidate who also happens to be a bit misunderstood here at Daily Kos. Today, however there's an urgent piece of news from Ohio that bodes good news for Democrats. Deborah Pryce, who last year stepped down as the Republican Party's 4th ranking Republican in the House of Representatives - after winning reelection by just 1,012 votes - is set to retire from Congress in 2008. Keep reading below for her reason for her (likely) retirement and why the Democrats are in good stead to win the seat in 2008.
Pryce was first elected in 1992, winning an open seat with 44% of the vote in a 3-way race. The Democrat, Richard Cordray is now the State Treasurer of Ohio, having been elected in 2006 as part of the statewide massacre of the GOP. However, that Democratic near-sweep did not extend to the House races, as only OH-18 (where the detestable Bob Ney left Congress early and left an equally detestable replacement to run in his stead) fell to Zack Space.
Pryce had won wiht 60% in 2004, but was facing a strong challenger this time around in the form of County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy. Mary Jo Kilroy's website Pryce's district, which features the capitol city of Columbus as its main voting base essentially split its vote in 2004 between Bush and Kerry, and in the Democratic year of 2006 voted for Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland. In addition, Pryce was criticized for her failure to act on Congressman Mark Foley's page-chasing tendancies, which of course became a national scandal.
No surprise, then that Pryce was expected to lose in 2006. Somehow, she pulled out a 1,012 vote margin after a recount, keeping her in Congress for another term. Together with Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania and Chris Shays of Connecticut, her victory was the most surprising one to me when it came to vulnerable GOP incumbents. However, with Kilroy running again and with the political climate hardly any better for Pryce than in 2006, Pryce was certain to have another tough race on her hands in 2008.
Perhaps that's why Pryce has apparently decided not to seek another term in Congress. Or it may be a genuine family concern, as the Columbus Dispatch reports this afternoon:
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:05 PM
By Jack Torry, Joe Hallett and Jonathan Riskind
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
WASHINGTON – Rep. Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington has told some of her fellow Republicans she is strongly considering not seeking re-election next year, The Dispatch has learned.
Pryce, 56, who has been a fixture in the U.S. House since her election in 1992, could make an announcement soon about her plans...
A senior Republican who spoke only on condition of not being identified said Pryce has concluded it is far too difficult to raise her adopted daughter Mia in Columbus while simultaneously maintaining a five-day schedule in Washington.
"I don't think anybody can talk her out of it,'' the top Republican said.
Pryce could not immediately be reached for comment...
If Pryce is retiring for this reason, then I certainly understand her reason. Commuting from Washington to Ohio is not as big a distance as, say, from Alaska or California, but it's still significant. And if you have a child to take care of, family ought to come first, no matter what party you belong to. So I do wish Pryce well in this regard.
Now, what becomes of her seat? The Democratic nominee will almost certainly be Kilroy , but the GOP will not simply surrender the seat. The leading Republican being considered, according to the article is ex-Attorney General Jim Petro, who ran for Governor last year and lost in the GOP primary to SOS (Secretary of Stealing) Ken Blackwell. Another possibility is State Senator Steve Stivers, but the Buckeye State Blog claims that both men are out.
Buckeye State Blog report
While Kilroy will have the edge in a "Pryce-less" race (pardon the pun), this race is far from settled. Look for OH-15 to once again be in the spotlight for the nation's House races in 2008.
On a related note, BSB is also reporting that Congressman Dave Hobson (R OH-07) may not run again. Stay tuned to his seat as well.