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August 22, 2008

Report: 11th House seat up for grabs

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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The Cook Political Report now rates the race between 12-term incumbent Democrat Paul Kanjorski and Republican challenger Lou Barletta as a toss-up.

David Wasserman, house editor for Cook, said the race between Kanjorski and Barletta is “cutting against the national grain in a few ways.” Previously, the Cook Report had the 11th District race leaning Democrat.

The Cook Political Report is a non-partisan publication that provides analysis of the presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and gubernatorial races for its subscribers. Wasserman is responsible for handicapping and analyzing U.S. House races.

“Most notably, given Kanjorski’s length of service, it is Barletta the Republican and not Kanjorski the Democrat who can more easily claim the mantle of change this year,” Wasserman wrote.

Barletta said the favorable rating comes in the midst of “attacks from my opponent,” which shows voters want a new congressman.

“This rating change further proves that people around the country are noticing the groundswell of support I have here,” Barletta said.

Ed Mitchell, Kanjorski’s campaign spokesman, called the Cook analysis another “inside-the-beltway pundit ranking.”

Wasserman notes Kanjorski’s past successes, having won re-election time and again by double-digit margins.

“Yet in a great year for Democrats nationally, few insiders dispute that he is among the most endangered members of the congressional majority,” he said.

Wasserman cites two issues that have voters concerned about the 24-year incumbent: millions of federal dollars in earmarks to the district and Barletta’s emergence as somewhat of a local political hero, thanks to the issue of illegal immigration.

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