Bennet: DSCC still recruiting in SD, MT, WV

[PolitiJunkie]

http://atr.rollcall.com/reid-west-virginia-democratic-recruit-to-announce-shortly/

Harry Reid claims that the Democrats have a candidate in West Virginia who will make things "very competitive", and who will announce shortly. Safe bet is that Natalie Tennant is in.


Reid also said that the DSCC is looking at 3 possible candidates in Montana. I'm guessing Walsh, Bohlinger, and someone else.

Bohlinger is a Republican. I'd say Walsh, Keenan, and some other person.

Bohlinger has repeatedly stated he is considering the race, and would run as a Democrat.
He's in his 70's, and has also said that if he ran and won he'd retire after one term.

I'd be inclined to agree that the candidates the DSCC are considering are Walsh, Keenan, and Bohlinger, but McCulloch could also be an option. She is nearly term-limited as Secretary of State, a high statewide office. Everyone is quick to group this race with WV and SD because Juneau, Schweitzer, and Lindeen all declined, but as far as I'm considered, the Democratic bench consists of a Lieutenant Governor, a former Lieutenant Governor, a Secretary of State, a former Superintendent of Public Instruction, and two state Supreme Court Justices, whereas the only two declared Republican candidates are both state legislators: Raicot has shown little interest, Daines hasn't declared anything, and Rehberg would be a weak candidate. I'll admit that this race has a slight Republican lean, but it's nowhere near as likely a Republican pickup as South Dakota and West Virginia.

[PolitiJunkie]

Rehberg's lost twice, last time was very winnable. Daines will be the Pub candidate in MT.

Most likely so, but Daines is still a first term rep with a short voting record (cuts both ways) and limited experience as a politician.

What I am saying is there needs to be perspective and lets neither over, nor underestimate various aspects of these possible candidates, especially when we don't know who the Democrat will be and it could still be a seasoned political veteran.

Yankee, you're completely right. Rehberg is much better than Champ Edmund for instance. But they shoud try with an another candidate. For example, Rick hill, the gop nominee for MT governor, it was a really tight race and he's a former representative.

But honestly, Daines will be probably the nominee, so they won't have to recruit an another Pub.

Also, Marc Raicot, a popular former two-term Montana Governor hasn't declined yet. And he was even shown leading Schweitzer by a couple points. He would be the strongest candidate; I'm not sure why has name has been largely ignored on the forum.