Senate Republicans brace for ominous 2010 [View All]

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Senate Republicans brace for ominous 2010
By Alexander Mooney


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The 111th Congress has just barely begun as Senate Republicans brace for more grueling elections in 2010 which threaten to further weaken the party's influence in Congress.
Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican from Ohio, will retire from the Senate when his term is up in 2010.

Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican from Ohio, will retire from the Senate when his term is up in 2010.

The latest setback for the party came Monday, when Ohio Sen. George Voinovich -- the 72 year-old two-term GOP senator -- announced he will not seek reelection in 2010. That leaves Republicans with a highly vulnerable seat in a perennial swing state that has drifted Democratic in the last two elections.

Voinovich's decision sent Ohio Republicans and Democrats scrambling ahead of what will likely be a competitive primary on both sides, and virtually guarantees the GOP will have to spend significantly more money defending a seat that otherwise would likely have been a safe bet.

"Republicans are starting the cycle on the defensive once again, it's a familiar but uncomfortable position," said Nathan Gonzalez of the Rothenberg Political Report.

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/12/senate.republicans/