In 1974 there was a special House election to replace a long-time Republican House leader. And though Gerald Ford had held his Midwestern seat for 24 years, his replacement turned out to be a Democrat, Richard Vander Veen. In 2008 we've now seen something similar. Long-time Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert's old House seat in Illinois has been won by a Democrat, scientist Bill Foster. I think it's a great sign that the Democrats huge wins of 2006, which I'd say was their best election year since 1974, look likely to continue this fall.
Posted by armand at March 9, 2008 11:13 AM | TrackBack | Posted to PoliticsI was pleased to read this. My grandfather is Richard VanderVeen, and we are all proud of his accomplishments in the 1974 special election. It was a milestone event, and I hope the democrats continue their recent successes. -Ben
Posted by: Ben VanderVeen at March 20, 2008 09:37 PM | PERMALINK