It's still possible to snatch away the Carson seat.
Oh, I agree in theory, but that seems pretty unlikely given the current state of affairs in Marion county. The party doesn't seem particularly interested in reclaiming the seat, and unless that changes, any Republican running there is going to lose. And they wonder why they can't attract good candidates.
By the way, I'm glad that Elrod dropped out. I never understood why he was running a second time. Let someone else take a crack at Carson.