Time for another exciting Steve-Off; former Republican Rep. Steve "Steve" Chabot, last seen losing his seat in the Democratic wave of 2008 to a fellow Steve, Democrat Steve Driehaus, has decided he prefers Capitol Hill to Cincinnati.
Barely a month out of office, former Rep. Steve Chabot has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to run for his old congressional seat.
Chabot confirmed to The Enquirer in an exclusive interview Thursday that he is indeed gearing up for a re-match against Rep. Steve Driehaus, the Democrat who beat him 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent in last November's election.
It was apparently the Great Big Mean and Nasty Stimulus which got Chabot's goat:
Chabot said he decided to run again because of the outpouring of support from constituents and a feeling that the massive stimulus package being considered in Congress is not the way out of the current economic crisis.
Surely it had nothing to do with Chabot personally missing the rarefied air of DC.
Chabot won a series of tough races prior to 2008, fending off stiff challenges from Democrat John Cranley in 2002 and 2006. He finally lost in 2008 amid a strong Democratic tide, one in which African-American turnout in Cincinnati was exceptionally high due to the presence of President Obama atop the ticket.
It's certainly possible that without Obama, in a neutral environment, Chabot could turn the tables on Driehaus.
Then again, four Republican Representatives who lost in 2006 tried to get their seats back last year. Their rematches did not go well:
• Former Rep. Jeb Bradley (NH-01) lost his rematch against Carol Shea-Porter, 52% to 46%.
• Former Rep. Melissa Hart (PA-04)was beaten quite badly in her rematch against Jason Altmire, 56% to 44%.
• Former Rep. Mike Sodrel (IN-09) was crushed in his fourth race against Rep. Baron Hill, 58% to 38%.
• Former Rep. Anne Northup (KY-03) was also crushed in her rematch against Rep. John Yarmuth, 59% to 41%.
That's not a good sign for Steve the C., and the district isn't exactly solidly Republican - it has an "old PVI" of R+0.5, Kerry narrowly lost it 51-49, and Obama won it by 11 points, 55-44.
Expect this to be a tough race, but as the incumbent, Driehaus starts out as the favorite. Except in extenuating circumstances, it's awfully hard to do what Chabot seeks to do, and Driehaus is a good fit for the district.