Ganley Gives GOP Hope of Making Sutton Sweat
| Republican strategists are thrilled that Ohio car dealer Tom Ganley (R) has shifted his focus from taking on former Rep. Rob Portman in the GOP Senate primary to unseating Rep. Betty Sutton (D) in the 13th district.
A more favorable political environment for Republicans and Ganley’s ability to self-finance his campaign are the two major reasons prompting CQ Politics to change the rating of the House race from Safe Democratic to Likely Democratic. The new rating still gives Sutton a decisive edge but doesn’t foreclose the possibility that a competitive race could develop in the northeastern Ohio district. Ganley, a first-time candidate for political office, had $1.3 million in his Senate campaign account at the beginning of this year and he can transfer all unused funds to his House campaign. He announced Feb. 18, the day of the candidate filing deadline in Ohio, that he would challenge Sutton, who had $210,000 in her campaign account – a below average total for a House incumbent. The National Republican Congressional Committee on Monday tagged Ganley as an “On the Radar” candidate – the first step of advancement in the organization’s “Young Guns” candidate recruitment program. Ohio’s 13th, which includes part of Akron and well as all of Lorain and Elyria, is tough territory for any Republican. It backed President Barack Obama (D) over Sen. John McCain (R) by 15 points in the 2008 election, when Sutton beat a lightly funded Republican with 65 percent of the vote. Sutton was first elected in 2006, when she trounced Lorain mayor Craig Foltin with 61 percent of the vote in what was a banner Democratic year. |