Comparing the straight party affiliations is also misleading. Minnesota's House Republican are all solid conservatives and one of the Democrats (Colin Peterson, 7th district) is a genuine blue dog (votes with conservatives sometimes because he beleives it, not to cover his rear end because he's marginal). I wonder how many of NJ's Republicans are merely RINOs. And I don't mean slight RINOs like Norm Coleman. Norm's a good guy and is probably the most conservative fellow you could elect in a statewide congressional race.
You can do slightly better in an executive position (see Pawlenty) because the mushy middle sheeple are less inclined to tinkle in their own water supply than in the whole country's.
Jim Ramstad a solid conservative? You gotta be kidding me.