The first time they met, two years ago, Jason Altmire nipped incumbent Republican Melissa Hart in a tight race.
Last night, Mr. Altmire was riding a wave of nationwide Democratic
gains, but this time with the benefit of incumbency and superior
funding.
The result was a wide victory for the McCandless freshman, cementing his hold on Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District.
"I felt like I had a good story to tell about my two years in
office," Mr. Altmire said. "If you do a good job in office, people send
you back."
A few supporters gathered at Mulligan's Club House and Grille in
Harmar to watch the returns, with Mr. Altmire clinching his victory by
10:15 p.m.
"We're low-keying it here," Mr. Altmire said.
Ms. Hart, who Mr. Altmire unseated in 2006 after she had served
three terms, had been labeled a rising Republican star. But last night
she was humbled for the second time.
"Looks like what was going on in 2006 is continuing in 2008," said
Ms. Hart, who again accused Mr. Altmire of ducking debates with her. "A
number of my former colleagues are not holding on to their seats."
Ms. Hart ran advertisements linking Mr. Altmire to House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi hoping that Ms. Pelosi would be an albatross around his
neck the way President Bush was to Ms. Hart two years ago.
Ms. Hart's advertising also trumpeted the correlation between Mr.
Altmire's arrival in Congress and the recent financial downturn. One
spot showed a house explosion as an apparent metaphor for the economy.
Countering the claim that he took his cues from Democratic
leadership, Mr. Altmire pointed to his votes against the $750 billion
bailout bill. Mr. Altmire's stances against gun control and abortion
further bolstered his centrist claims.
And, echoing his last campaign, Mr. Altmire's attack ads tied Ms. Hart to President Bush.
The district, which includes all of Lawrence County, most of Beaver
County, and portions of Allegheny, Butler, Mercer and Westmoreland
counties, is fairly conservative, despite a Democratic registration
edge in the tens of thousands.
Mr. Altmire acknowledged the Democratic gains in both chambers of
Congress and the presidency, saying that came with a responsibly for
members of his party.
"We can't blame George Bush anymore," Mr. Altmire said. "This is on
us. I feel a sense of responsibility more than any emotion at this
point. The people have entrusted us with the future."
Daniel Malloy can be reached at
dmalloy@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1731.
First published on November 5, 2008 at 1:00 am