Democrats Target Ill. Freshman Rep. Dold

Illinois’ 10th District Rep. Robert Dold is one of several freshmen Republicans in trouble this year, thanks to redistricting and an all-out national effort by Democrats to retake control of the U.S. House, according to the Chicago Tribune.
 

Dold, a conservative elected to the seat in the GOP landslide of 2010, now finds himself running in the North Shore district that has been reconfigured to eliminate his hometown and a couple of key GOP strongholds that helped keep the seat out of Democratic hands for more than three decades.

The district, according to the Tribune, is now even a little more left leaning than it was when held by moderate Republican Mark Kirk, now a U.S. senator.

The Tribune reported Monday that four, first-time Democratic candidates pushing similarly progressive agendas have entered the race; the winner of the March 20 primary can expect lots of support from the national party.

The paper suggested that moderate Republicans could also pose a threat to Dold by crossing over to support the Democratic primary winner.

“This district is ripe for change,” salesman Don Pike, a 56-year-old former Republican voter told the newspaper. “Dold is a two-year guy, and that’s it.”