Posted on 05/29/2012 1:27:46 PM PDT by SMGFan
Brad Harriman, the Democratic nominee to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), has dropped out of the race, creating a major void and giving Republicans a better chance of winning the seat.
Harriman, who was Costello's hand-picked candidate and highly touted by national Democrats, cited a neurological disorder as his reason for quitting the campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Neurological disorder=doesn’t want to sink with the Obama ship!
...he lost his nerve...
LMAO good one
even in Obama Country the Dems are getting gun shy
That is a real GOP chance at a pick up. Costello has always positioned himself as a conservative Democrat and a friend of the military (Scott AFB is in his district). He has won competitive races every year.
Without his name recognition, the GOP might flip that seat.
neurological disorder? They knew that going in as Liberalism is a neurological disorder.
Probably not the best tactic to mock or equate those with “neurological disorders” as not being able to think or reason.
From somebody with one.
Looks like a pickup opportunity.
Running as a democrat is enough to give any democrat NEURO problems.
Good for him. At least he admits it.
“Brad Harriman, the Democratic nominee to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), has dropped out of the race, creating a major void and giving Republicans a better chance of winning the seat.”
Brad Harriman deserves our sympathy and I wish a full and speedy recovery. But this gives Republicans a leg up in the fall election. Democrats’ chances of winning back the House have gotten a little bit harder.
This could end up being bad if they put State Rep. Hoffman in Harriman’s place.
The GOP hasn’t won this House district since 1942. It has only had just the two occupants since 1944, Costello and Mel Price.
Yup I saw that when I looked up when we last had it.
That’s messed up. But it made tracing the ancestry of the district up to that point very easy. It appears it was a Republican area prior to the depression.
Our last guy Calvin Johnson was a 1 termer, lost to Price in 44 and lost a rematch in 46. Do yo know how close those races were?
Extremely close races. Calvin Johnson challenged the prior Democrat incumbent in 1940, losing 54-46%. Johnson won it when it was an open seat in 1942, 56-44%. Mel Price beat him by about 2,500 votes, 51-49% in 1944. In the 1946 rematch, it was even closer, with Price winning by 2,000 votes (also 51-49%). Following the statewide redistricting for 1948, Price’s seat was effectively made safe for him.
Price wouldn’t have another tough race until 1986 when he had a subpar showing in the primary and was almost beaten in the general, winning by just 1,000 votes over Republican Bob Gaffner. Price would die during that term and Gaffner ran a close race to Costello in the special, losing by less than 2,000 votes.
Price’s son, William Melvin Price, ran as the Republican candidate in 1998, but lost 60-40% to Costello.
The race will be very close, if the Democrat is State Senator William Haine, from Alton; or James Clayborne, from East St. Louis.
Bring on James Clayborne I say. A Black guy who represents the state’s premiere armpit city (though he lives in Belleville of course, who would live in East SL if they had a choice) is not the best foot the rats could put forward. There are racist White democrats down there.
Too bad. I guess Johnson probably would have lost in 48 though even in the old district.
“Price’s son, William Melvin Price, ran as the Republican candidate in 1998”
Interesting. Price must have rolled in his grave.
The Dems won’t run a black guy in that district.
I hear the name “Jerry Costello” and automatically think “EARTH PIMP”.
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