Update II: It’s official, Dennis! will be running again. Email sent out this afternoon says, “We have a district.”
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Update: Dennis! Kucinich last night issued this statement, which basically says that he’ll probably run in a primary in 2012 against Marcy Kaptur for the sliver-along-the-lake district which will now include the west side of Cleveland, which wasn’t chopped up as many thought it would be.
“It is an amazing turn of events that the legislature decided not to dismantle the district I represent. I have been praying that I could continue to serve my Cleveland-area constituency and it looks like I have a chance. That is all I could have hoped for.”
Cue Jim Carrey: “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”
Sorry, Seattle. Looks likes he’s ours for the foreseeable future.
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Sources tell the Dayton Daily News and the Plain Dealer that the current redistricting map proposal by Ohio Republicans, while “fluid” and not official, would eliminate not one, but two Democratic seats in Northeast Ohio.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2011.
And this is a surprise? Who let them in? Not me. They’re running amuck and must be stopped. Kick them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, you’re buying inaccurate Plain Dealer spin. This may actually have saved Betty Sutton’s seat. They were likely to put her either in Tim Ryan’s district in which case she’d be gone or Jim Renacci’s in which case he’s in jeopardy. They did the latter. Renacci is not the world’s most popular or effective legislator or popular campaigner. He won last time on the Tea Party wave. There probably won’t be a Tea Party wave next year. Sutton can win this district. You can chop and dice the state to favor your party but it doesn’t always work out that way in real life – and i think this won’t. Also a Toledo district that includes a chunk of what is basically Cleveland is an insult. I think we need to go for a ballot issue and do non-partisan redistricting in mid-decade since Texas kicked that door open for us.
I agree with abba. Sutton can beat Renacci and a district including Toledo and Cleveland is ridiculous.
Marcy Kaptur fired back with a far less self-centered statement than Dennis (who made it all about himself staying in Congress), saying,
“Representing the interests of all of the people of our district, particularly during tough economic times, is the highest privilege afforded to any citizen. I intend to keep fighting hard for them and will run to represent them in the newly-formed Ninth Congressional District.
The Republican map is all about incumbent protection. The very same Republicans who are trying to take away the rights of policemen, firefighters and teachers with State Issue 2 are turning around and giving lifetime job security to incumbent Members of Congress. How unfair.
In a state that votes 50-50, they have eliminated competition and produced three Republican members of Congress for every Democratic member. Such rigging sacrifices representative government in the cause of incumbent protection.”
Too bad Marcy doesn’t look at the NW Ohio district ~ its very much a swing district as drawn, and Latta’s no moderate Republican. And it contains about 30% of Marcy’s current district. She’d avoid what could be a bruising primary challenge and be the odds on favorite to be elected.
While the map is touted as a 12-4 map, its really a 6 safe R, 4 lean R, 2 swing, 4 safe D map. The 2 swing are the two northern corners ~ the NE corner is almost 50/50, with LaTourette likely to hold it on incumbent advantage but definitely having to come back to actually campaign in Ohio if a popular East Cleveland politician is available to take up the challenge ~ and with demographic change, will become a lean-D over the decade ahead. And the NW corner is maybe 51R/49D, but a strong Democratic candidate against a noisy Take Everything Away Party extremist like Latta could well take and hold that seat long term.