Melissa Bean’s victory is covered over at the DCCC’s Blog the Stakeholder
In fact, Bean is already a hardened campaigner, having won an impressive 43% against Crane in 2002 – with limited resources! Bean’s campaign is already thriving. She has raised over $150,000 – five times the amount she raised at this point last cycle.
Not only is she a great candidate in a very winnable race (CQ has moved it into the “competative” category), but she is getting a lot of love online.
Hence why I’ll be mentioning her a lot!
I have had a chance to view her on the stump several times and she will give Crane a run his money. An anti-incumbency mood in the 8th and rising Democratic tide in IL will also play a part in helping her. As a moderate Dem, she may be able to steal this truly Republican seat and hold it long enough to allow the changing demographics to catch up with her political moorings.
I?d predict a win for her, but why jinx her? 😉
Despite being in Chicago, I’ll be on the Melissa Bean beat this campaigning season–so I’ll keep everybody posted. I hope she can pull this out.