AP | Democrats Eye House Seats in Ky., S.D.

[goobergunch]

By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democrats, out of power nearly a decade, hope to celebrate a rare triumph this week, the capture of a Republican-held seat in a special election.

The prize is the seat that was held by former GOP Rep. Ernest Fletcher of Kentucky, who left Congress this winter after winning election as the state's governor.

Democrat Ben Chandler, loser in the gubernatorial election to Fletcher, has been ahead of Republican rival Alice Forgy Kerr in the polls from the beginning of the current campaign.

If he wins, it would be the first time since 1991 that Democrats have won a Republican-held seat in a special election.

more...http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KENTUCKY_SPECIAL?SITE=SDSIO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Should be fun to watch Tuesday night!

[saltpoint]

1. I think these two will be the first two of several --

-- we pick up in 2004.

Bush will bring a lot of Republicans down with him.

Go Democrats.

[stepnw1f]

2. How many Dem seats vs. Rep seats?

Or how can I find out?

[NWHarkness]

4. Rep. 228, Dem. 204, Ind. 1, Vacant 2

[dusty64]

10. Looks like 2 down

11-12 to go. Anyone have any idea of the outlook with the Texas reredistricting?

[snippy]

11. Not good as I recall.

Five or six democratic seats are likely to become republican. Typically only around 40 House races are competitive, so democrats would have to win a large percentage of those to win the House. I think it is possible but not likely unless Bush continues his steady fall in the polls since 9/11.

[Toots]

6. Thirteen seats will do the trick

:shrug: I think it is more than doable.

[boxster]

3. Stephanie Herseth is way up in the SD polls.

She almost beat Janklow last time. This time, I think she'll kick butt!

[Ediacara]

7. totally good news!

Link to recent polls in the Argus Leader, Herseth up 58% to 29%!

http://www.argusleader.com/news/extra/0212_ushousepoll.shtml

[salin]

5. in the KY race... a second republican has already announced

that he will run in the regular/general election... not a great vote of confidence for the current gop candidate.

[Crachet2004]

8. This is important...

We need at least one chamber in congress. I hate watching the GOP on C-Span run roughshod over our guys-and the Constitution!!!

If we can stay focused and united in the Democrat Party this year, it could be one of those tectonic-plate-shift years where the GOP gets marginalized for a generation.

They deserve it.

[snippy]

9. I have doubts that republicans will lose the House, but these two races

are important for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons is that Kerr has made her support for Bush a big centerpiece of her campaign.

[bushwakker]

12. Send $$ if you can

I gave $25 to Chandler - every bit helps. A win here will boost morale big time.

[jsw_81]

13. It's interesting to note...

...that two candidates who lost gubernatorial races only a few weeks ago, Chandler in KY and Jindal in LA, are almost certain to win House seats this year.