Elizabeth Dole's Republican Star Status May Stall Election Bid

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from Bloomberg:



Elizabeth Dole's Republican Star Status May Stall Election Bid

By Laura Litvan

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Elizabeth Dole has long been a Republican star: U.S. transportation and labor secretary, spouse of 1996 presidential nominee Robert Dole, and a candidate for president herself in 2000.

Dole was elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina in 2002 with 54 percent of the vote, the state's biggest Senate margin in almost a quarter-century. Now, it's Dole's Republican credentials that threaten to undermine her re-election chances.

Considered an easy bet for re-election earlier this year, Dole is facing a tighter race against Democratic state Senator Kay Hagan. Democrats say Dole, 71, now is a leading target in November's elections, as the slumping economy and Iraq war are endangering Republican seats in states that earlier seemed out of reach.

``She's in trouble because of the straight-up fact that she's a Republican,'' Brian Mayberry, a 35-year-old political independent, said June 20 at a Wilmington gas station while pumping $59.73 worth of gasoline into his Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility vehicle. While ``the consensus is that she's been a good senator,'' Mayberry said he won't vote for Dole because he blames Republican President George W. Bush for high gas prices.

``It's a tough year,'' Dole said in an interview. While voicing confidence she'll win, the incumbent said broad voter discontent may result in a ``tight race.''

Democrats' Prospects

Dole's seat is among a group controlled by Republicans in states, such as Mississippi and Kansas, where polls show improving Democratic prospects. Jennifer Duffy, Senate editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, forecasts that Democrats will gain four to seven Senate seats.

The vulnerability of senators like Dole raises the possibility that an anti-Republican wave may give Democrats the nine seats they need for a 60-40 Senate majority, Duffy said. With 60 votes, Democrats would have filibuster-proof control of the chamber and could defeat Republican efforts to block legislation. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aovyj7gAw54w&refer=home