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To: Impy; campaignPete R-CT; AuH2ORepublican; Red Steel; Clintonfatigued; BillyBoy; InterceptPoint; ...

Nick Rahall’s close call in the now-defunct WV-4 (now WV-3) in 1990 was due to the fact he had some serious personal problems in the mid-to-late ‘80s. He racked up $60,000 in gambling debts in Las Vegas and was openly sued for recovery and in 1988 he was hit with drunk-driving charges on a visit to California. Add to that, his district was in open decline economically. Ex-Congressman and sitting Secretary of State Ken Hechler (his predecessor, and then only a sprightly 76 — he turns 100 this year) decided Rahall was a fiasco waiting to happen and held him to an unimpressive 57-43% margin after running hard on the issue of ethics and moral standards.

Republican Marianne Brewster should’ve had a potential upset in the making, but the Republicans didn’t give her a dime and she was outspent by Rahall by nearly 10-to-1. I think the GOP justified writing her off because this was the strongest Dem district in the state (and in a state which at the time had zero Republicans federally). Dukakis won here by a wide 58-42% over GHW Bush in 1988. Add to that, with the state due to shed that 4th seat for 1992, she would’ve likely served the one term before being redistricted in with a safe Dem incumbent from an adjacent seat. Curiously, about 66,000 people participated in the heated Democrat primary (where Rahall got under 38,000 votes), but in the general election, most of the Rahall voters clearly either sat it out or voted for Brewster, because Rahall just under 40,000 votes (Brewster got 37,000). She had actually received 50,000 two years earlier while Rahall lost half from that year (almost 80,000 votes).

Clearly, Rahall cleaned up his act and got more focused on his district from then on. This time, however, it will be the ideological/party shift that will be impossible for him to overcome, as the state has returned to its heavy GOP voting preferences from 1894-1932.


10 posted on 05/08/2014 7:30:37 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Interesting, thanks.

Sad story, made all the sadder with the fact she’d probably have been a 1-termer even if she had won.

” the state has returned to its heavy GOP voting preferences from 1894-1932.”

I hope it starts tricking down to the state offices and the legislature pretty soon.


12 posted on 05/08/2014 9:21:10 AM PDT by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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