Monday, March 22, 2010

Rep. Alan Mollohan, a long-time incumbent Democrat in West Virginia, has Republicans and Democrats assailing him for his vote in favor of the Senate bill last night. Mollohan faces a number of Republican challengers, but he also faces State Senator Mike Oliverio in the Democratic primary. Oliverio has said he would oppose the health-care bill.

An interesting wrinkle: the WV Democratic party chair has said that he's staying neutral in the race between the two Democrats. One would guess that the chair sees a political opportunity in Mollohan's defeat: the health-care vote could very much be an albatross around his neck in the election. Having and anti-Senate bill Democrat face off against an anti-Senate bill Republican might eliminate a Republican tactical advantage in WV.