POLITICAL BRIEFING
FREE RIDE FOR INCUMBENTS--Some political analysts maintain that this is shaping up as a turbulent year for incumbents, but that’s news to the swelling number of senators and representatives already guaranteed a return ticket to Washington in November.
In 49 congressional districts in which the filing deadline has already passed, for example, no major party candidate came forward to challenge the incumbent, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee. An additional 60 representatives in districts in which time remains to file do not yet have major party opponents.
Even four senators--Republicans Thad Cochran of Mississippi and John W. Warner of Virginia, Democrats Sam Nunn of Georgia and David Pryor of Arkansas--are guaranteed reelection without major party opposition. And, in Oklahoma, with only a month left to file, Democrat David L. Boren doesn’t have an opponent.
With so many House members still unopposed, the number of uncontested seats could rise to heights not seen since the 1950s, when Republicans routinely failed to challenge Southern Democrats.
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