Congress
Posted: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 8:59 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Congress, Republicans
The Washington Post notes that former Speaker Denny Hastert will announce on Friday that he won’t seek another term. “GOP aides say that Hastert is likely to serve out the rest of his term, but that he has been considering resigning from the House this year. If he did, Hastert would trigger a special election that could give an indication of whether Democrats are continuing their political surge or whether Republicans have stanched the bleeding in GOP-leaning districts.”
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More: “Two Republican candidates for Hastert's seat have already emerged -- state Sen. Chris Lauzen and Jim Oberweis, a well-funded investment adviser and dairy farmer who has run for office several times. But a special election could give the GOP trouble, said Stuart Rothenberg… President Bush took 55 percent of the vote in 2004 in Hastert's district, a majority that was small enough for some Democratic candidates to win in other districts in 2006. A special election would hinge on turnout; and for the moment, Republicans are demoralized by an unpopular president and an unpopular war, while Democrats are energized for the same reasons.”
The New York Times: “Mr. Hastert’s decision means that as of January 2009, he and former Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, two Republicans who dominated the House for years after Mr. DeLay helped elevate Mr. Hastert, will be absent from the halls of Congress.”