55 also-rans from 2006 give House seat another whirl
FANWOOD, N.J. -- Democrat Linda Stender hopes to repeat much of what she did when she ran for Congress in 2006 — everything but the part where she lost the election.
Stender, a New Jersey state lawmaker, lost to a Republican incumbent two years ago by fewer than 3,000 votes. Now, she is making a second run in a race that is among the most competitive in the nation.
"Last time, I think I spent most of my time trying to convince people that we could win," Stender, 57, said. "Now, people are acting like I've already won, which concerns me because we haven't won."
Stender is one of 55 Democratic and Republican challengers taking another run at the U.S. House this year after losing in 2006, according to a USA TODAY analysis. Of the repeat contenders, 19 are running in races considered competitive by the non-partisan Cook Political Report.
Ohio Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, for instance, in 2006 came within 1,100 votes of beating the incumbent, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce, who is retiring. Kilroy now faces Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers.
In southern Indiana, Republican Mike Sodrel lost close races to Democrat Rep. Baron Hill in 2002 and 2006, but won the seat in 2004 by 1,425 votes, less than 1 percentage point. This year, Sodrel is back for another try.
"The contrast between the parties and the philosophies are very stark," said Sodrel, 62. "It was important when I ran in 2002, and I think it's even more important today."
Stigma of defeat
Candidates running again benefit from inherent advantages and can suffer from the stigma of earlier defeat, said David Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report.
"One advantage is that the electorate already knows your name," he said. "Of course, the main disadvantage is that … your opponent can paint you as a sore loser."
In 2006, discontent over Iraq helped propel Democrats to victory. The party won enough seats to take control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994.
Several Republicans facing repeat candidates said Democrats may not benefit from a do-over.
"I think it's a disadvantage for him because as people have gotten to know him they don't like him," said Republican Dale Sweetland, 59, who is running in western New York against Democrat Dan Maffei, who lost in 2006.
Maffei, 40, counters that in 2006 he lost to a 20-year incumbent. This year, the seat is open, and Maffei said the economic crisis will hurt the GOP.
"In 2006, you had a lot of wins where Democrats had been competing for a long time," Maffei said. "In 2008, the seats that are in play are seats that have historically been Republican."
In New Jersey, Stender also is running for an open seat after nearly beating four-term GOP Rep. Mike Ferguson in 2006. Ferguson is not running for re-election.
Her Republican opponent, state Sen. Leonard Lance, said the recent gains in Iraq have helped neutralize the war as a political issue. Now, he said, both campaigns are focused on the economy. "I think that the main issue in 2006 was the Iraq conflict, and I believe that the (troop) surge has been successful," said Lance, 56.
Exhausting and expensive
Florida Democrat Christine Jennings, 62, is running again to unseat Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan. Last time, Jennings came within 400 votes. She contested the results and attended an orientation for freshman House members as courts and Congress tried to identify the winner.
"I have a good handle on knowing what the people are like in (the) district," Jennings said of her second run.
Buchanan, 57, declined to comment but, in a statement, a spokeswoman said Jennings is running a "smear campaign."
Robin Weirauch, a Democrat, lost three House races in northwestern Ohio. She said multiple runs often are needed to establish a candidacy. But this year, she's running for county commissioner instead.
"Three congressional races in a row is not only exhausting, it's expensive," Weirauch, 51, said. "I just couldn't take that kind of a hit again for a fourth time."