Open 5th seat in spotlight

Republican losses this year in three special elections for congressional seats should turn up the spotlight on the race for the open seat in Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District, which includes all of Centre County.

Republicans in Congress woke up Wednesday with their heads spinning after a victory by Mississippi Democrat Travis Childers in traditional Republican district. Democrats also captured earlier special elections for congressional seats in Illinois and Louisiana.

The 17-county 5th Congressional District went up for grabs on Jan. 3, when 12-year incumbent U.S. Rep. John Peterson announced he would not seek re-election after his current two-year term expires.

The April 22 primary elections were won by Howard Township Republican Glenn Thompson, former chair of the Centre County Republican Committee, and Democrat Mark McCracken, who is in his second term as a Clearfield County Commissioner.

Registered Republicans in the 5th District outnumber Democrats by 13,000, an advantage that will have to be overcome by any Democrat trying to match the special-election upsets in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois.

The Republican losses there were broadly attributed to dissatisfaction with the policies of President Bush. With the special-election victories, U.S. House Democrats now outnumber Republicans 236 to 199.