In fact, I am willing to ascribe a lot of GOP losses to more conservative candidates. The best example may be in the Maine legislature. In 2004 the house was 74-73 democratic, and the Senate 18-17. In 2006 the house went 89-60 Democratic but the Senate stayed the same. As someone who worked on the Senate campaign, the house losses were due almost entirely to Christian conservative or otherwise unelectably conservative candidates winning primaries and then losing their own seats,
In the two moderate v. conservative contested Republican State House primaries I was aware of in 2006 (one in Augusta and another in my House district to the west and northwest of Augusta), the "socially moderate" (not very different from socially liberal from my experience) candidates won. But I know there were other contested primaries. Can you name some places where conservative Republican Maine State House candidates beat moderates in the primary in 2006? I'm asking not out of doubt but out of genuine interest.
Also, the House eventually became 88-61-2 Democratic before any deaths, resignations or party switches (the last of which never happened last term) when an apparent Democratic pickup on election night was reversed in the recount but, because of a dispute which lasted until after the Legislature convened for one day in December, the Democrat (as the apparent winner from the election night count) was provisionally seated; he conceded in early January I believe and the House stood at 88-61-2 until my State Representative (a Republican) died in a ski accident in April. She was replaced by a Democrat who himself died in August or September; his widow was elected to replace him in one of 5 special elections held that November, another one of which (caused by a Republican resignation) became another Democratic pickup which put the House at 90-59-2 until the Legislature elected this November was sworn in earlier this month.
