Senate 2008 Guru: Following the Races

Keeping a close eye on developments in the 2008 U.S. Senate races

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Rumors in Oregon and Texas

  • Oregon: Blue Oregon picks up on rumors that the DSCC is reaching out to Rep. Peter DeFazio to consider a challenge to Gordon Smith.

  • Texas: To accompany the North Texas College Dems list of potential 2008 Senate challengers to John Cornyn, an astute reader passes on a similar rundown from Off the Kuff. Enjoy perusing and speculating!

    • posted by Senate2008Guru | 10:49 AM

    9 Comments:

    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    DeFazio already said no, and the DSCC hasn't had much luck with recruiting this cycle.

    12:37 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger Senate2008Guru said...

    DeFazio has previously said no - so the reason that this is interesting is that the link I cited noted:

    QUOTE
    Although DeFazio has said before that he will not run, apparently he is still considering it. I've heard that the DSCC has given him a deadline to decide- a deadline that is approaching soon.
    UNQUOTE

    So apparently there is the possibility of further developments. So stay tuned.

    12:41 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger Cottonseed said...

    How successful has the NRSC been this cycle?

    Speaking of Oregon, is Blumenauer definitely out of the picture, or is the DSCC only concentrating hard on DeFazio, at the moment?

    1:35 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    Blumenauer has said that Smith will get a strong challenger, but there isn't a need for one until later this year, so don't be discouraged if someone doesn't pop up. When asked if he meant that he'd enter the race later this year, he basically said "no comment." So Blumenauer is a possibility.

    And the link is just a guy with a blog, reported what a guy with a radio program. Your posting is a third-hand rumor. The over-abudance of the word "apparently" doesn't really settle well with me. DeFazio is out, until anybody with non-anonymous source can say otherwise.

    2:24 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger greentea said...

    Thanks va blogger about the Blumenauer info, I had not heard about that. Not sure if DeFazio or Blumenauer would play better in a statewide (assuming DeFazio, since there might be a Portland stigma, but that is just a guess), but wouldn't DeFazio's seat be a little more difficult to defend, compared to Blumenauer's? Anyways, thanks again for that tidbit.

    3:21 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger James L. said...

    It took many months for the DSCC to get some of their preferred candidates in 2005: Claire McCaskill happened in the late summer, and Sherrod Brown entered the ring even later (in October). The point is, it's way too early to tell whether or not the DSCC will have a successful round of recruitments this cycle. With Chuck Schumer at the helm, however, I remain optimistic.

    5:05 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    Typically, the DSCC doesn't care what makes the DCCC's job harder, so whether or not his seat is harder to defend is immaterial, unless DeFazio thinks otherwise. Either would be a get, but as I said before, DeFazio passed and Blumenauer has been mum.

    And while its definately premature to write off places where the DSCC has failed to recruit a candidate, its interesting to note not just the lack of candidates, but the amount of people (especially top-tier candidates) who have already said no.

    6:40 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger James L. said...

    Sherrod Brown said no before he said yes in 2005. And Mark Warner said no last year before he said maybe a few weeks ago.

    6:44 PM, March 10, 2007  
    Blogger VA Blogger said...

    Actually, Warner went from "I have to consider all my options" to "I'm not ruling it out".

    7:53 PM, March 10, 2007  

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