NRCC Lands Two Recruits Against Traditionally Safe Democrats

Campaign Diaries published the following on NRCC recruitment efforts:

On OR-04 and Sid Leiken: “Peter DeFazio would have faced some trouble represents a swing district that voted for Bush by 5% in 2000. Yet, he has never dipped below 60% at the polls in his 11 re-election races! Republicans look determined to finally contest the district in 2010, and they have landed a strong recruit: Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken. While Springfield represents a small portion of the district, Leiken has served as the city’s mayor since 2000 Republicans also point to his business experience and his ties to the timber industry, which is significant in the area. …”

CA-47 and Van Tran: “Over the past decade, CA-47 has taken some wild swings in the presidential voting. After voting for Al Gore by 14%, it gave George W. Bush a 1% victory in 2004 and then swung by a massive 23%! Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s numbers have been more stable: Ever since unseating a Republican incumbent by 1% in 1996, she has easily won re-election. Yet, the NRCC is convinced that the district is open to voting for a Republican and that Assemblyman Van Tran is the man who can unseat her. After weeks of being courted by GOP officials, the Vietnamese-American politician announced today that he would form an exploratory committee. Republicans are already celebrating the news, with one NRCC official saying Tran is “one of the top people” he has worked to recruit. …”

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