Just a day after the Cook Political Index moved it's analysis of the 36th Congressional District race from "Leaning Republican" to "Toss Up", and Political report 'The Hill' featured the 36th as a race "worth watching", another respected political blog is saying Republican insiders are worried.
In today's editions of Roll Call, Stuart Rothenberg of Rothenberg Political Report writes,
"...some Republicans are nervous about Rep. Mary Bono Mack, an eight-term Republican from Palm Springs who finds herself with a serious challenge from Harvard University-educated physician Raul Ruiz (D), the son of migrant workers. Democrats have been hammering the Republican on the usual issues, including Medicare and the House GOP budget spearheaded by Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), and the district’s growing Hispanic population is a long-term problem for the Republican Congresswoman. While most of the polling in the race still shows Bono Mack ahead, this district is getting more attention from insiders of both parties than I initially expected."
Yesterday, when asked about the changes from Cook, Bono Mack Political Director Marc Troast said he "trusts his polls", which show the Congresswoman with a double digit lead over Ruiz.
