(Vox)  “We have mounting evidence that Democrats can compete in redder districts than previously thought possible. The Ohio 12th special election on August 7 will be the next test.”


With the specters of Pennsylvania and Arizona and Alabama haunting their dreams, Republicans have a new special election to worry about: Ohio’s 12th Congressional District.

Rep. Pat Tiberi announced last year that he would step down early from this district, which covers the areas north and east of Columbus. But Republicans are locked in a bitter primary over who should bear the party’s standard to replace Tiberi, with establishment Republicans entrenched on one side and the archconservative House Freedom Caucus on the other.

Whoever emerges in the May 8 primary is likely looking at a more difficult race than one might otherwise expect in this district, which Tiberi had held since 2002 and carried with two-thirds of the vote in 2016. The Cook Political Report places the district as R+7 and rates the race as a toss-up.

Click to continue reading. By Dylan Scott – May 8, 2018