I still have my Lois Murphy sign hanging on my wall
HP
This isn't lean anything yet unless Dinniman runs.
Its tossup/tilt Democratic. Just look at the Obama vote in the district, 58%-41%.
And that was 2008. Believe it or not, guys, but never every election will be like that! Also, it was a Presidential election year with Barack Obama leading the ticket. Guess who won't be leading the ticket in 2010. Guess how low turnout will be.
Don't tell me it's "tilt Democratic" when you don't even know who the Dems are running.
It is an increasingly Dem district. Even in bad years like 2002 and 2004, Democrats came within a whisker of picking up the seat before it had trended more Democratic.
So why couldn't they in good years like 2006 and 2008?
Gerlach worked the district very hard and was well liked.
And Democrats couldn't why? I mean, Chris Shays worked the district very hard and was well liked. Rob Simmons worked the district very hard and was well liked.
Murphy should have won in 06 and even outspent Gerlach. In 08 Gerlach had a huge $$ advantage about 7-2, which was a much larger advantage than Shays had (virtually even) and Simmons as well (a little less than 3-2).
We do need to find out who the candidates are, but at this point it is a Dem leaning district.