Just five years ago, Charleston Democrats were celebrating electing one of their own to the very Republican suburban Congressional seat.
Now, the incumbent mayor in their deep blue city lost to a Republican.
How the mighty have fallen.
This sounds like an extremely local race though, with even many progressives backing the Republican, and still he barely won.
Cogswell was one of the most moderate Republicans in legislature, and, surely, not a "fiery right-winger". So - it's less surpising, then initially seems: clean and rather popular moderate against problematic incumbent. In such cases party registration is not as important, as, say, in congressional races..
