It's Time for Strategy

Maintaining the majority is crucial for the Democrats; if the Republicans manage to gain the upper hand, the Democrats will not be able pass any of their agendas through Congress. Now is the time for strategy. Both parties need to campaign in a way that will maximize their chances at victory. Democrat Rosa DeLauro and Republican Jerry Labriola must utilize all the resources that their parties have to offer if they want to campaign effectively. 

 The current national conditions are not favorable for the Democrats.  As a result the Democratic Party has decided to take a more “protectionist” approach to campaigning. This means that they are going to focus more of their attention and resources on helping the incumbents get reelected (Herrnson 80-81).  For those who the party selects to focus there attention on will be provided with assistance gauging public opinion, researching the opposition and issues, campaign management, fund-raising and campaign communications (Herrnson 87). However, I doubt that Rosa DeLauro will be provided with this type of assistance; "The NY Times gives Rosa DeLauro a 100 percent chance of victory." (http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/connecticut/3?scp=1&sq=Rosa%20DeLauro&st=cse)
consequently this means that the Democratic Party may not feel the need to invested so much of its resources into her campaign. It would be unnecessary and wasteful for them to pay so much attention to a sure thing.

Although Jerry Labriola should be favored by his party because the Republicans have taken up a  offensive approach to campaigning, (rather than favoring incumbents the Republican Party has decided to invest the majority of their resources into the non incumbents) I do not believe he will be receiving any special attention. His unlikely chance at victory may discourage the Republicans from spending any time or money on him. This will only be a waste. According to Jerry Labriola's website (http://www.votejerry2010.com/compare.htm) ,which could be bias, Rosa DeLauro's campaign was "fund raised from union leaders, PACs, and special interests"; while Labriola's campaign was funded by private individuals. It seems as if neither DeLauro nor Labriola will be receiving any extra help from their parties.

Running Against An Incumbent

Republican Jerry Labriola has decided to throw his hat into the ring and run against incumbent Rosa DeLauro in the Congressional District elections. This is a very bold move for Labriola. It is very rare that new challengers has a fighting chance against an already established incumbent especially one like Rosa DeLauro who has been in office for twenty years. There are a few instances where it might be beneficial to run against an incumbent. Factors such as the position of the president, the state of the economy, or whether the incumbent is caught in the middle of a scandal, all contributes to the likely hood of someone being re-elected.

Currently, Rosa DeLauro is not involved in any pressing scandals but unfortunately the country is facing a slight recession and the Republican Party has constantly challenged the Obama Administration. The state of the economy contributes to the chances of Labriola defeating DeLauro because citizens are quick to blame those in office for their misfortunes while also turning to them to rectify the situation. If the majority of the citizens have been affected by the current recession whether directly or indirectly they may blame DeLauro or the entire Democratic Party in general; consequently they may seek to replace her with someone who they believe can help their situation. The condition of the economy along with other pressing issues and the constant attack on the President by the Republican Party has harmed President Obama’s reputation.  “Obama's Democratic Party faces major challenges in the November congressional elections because Americans are impatient with the continuing high unemployment rate, currently at 9.6 per cent. Obama's popularity has sunk to 45 per cent in the polls. The elections are seen as a referendum on a president's performance, which is tightly tied to the economy” (“Obama's economic drumbeat aimed at Republicans”). Rosa DeLauro association with the President and the Democratic Party can harm her chances of being re-elected.

Although, all of these factors can affects the incumbents’ chances of re-election they are not the deciding factor. In the case of Rosa DeLauro I do not believe they will influence her chances in November. The reason being is I believe her personal relationship with the voters will carrying her to victory. For the most part DeLauro has responded to the wants and needs of her constituents so Jerry Labriola does not poise much of a threat to her.

Rosa DeLauro Vs. Jerry Labriola

In November the House of Representatives are having Congressional District elections which will leave every seat in the House open for the taking. For Republicans this will mean a chance to finally seize control of Congress. However for Democrats it will be a desperate struggle to maintain power. Over the next few weeks both sides will do whatever thet takes to come out on top.


In the third district of Connecticut, Democrat and incumbent Rose DeLauro has held a seat in the House for twenty-years and now she is seeking re-election. DeLauro has made a name for herself over the years as a woman who desires to help others. During her time in Congress DeLauro has sought to improve our school systems, ease the financial burdens that plague senior citizens, enhance food and consumer product safety, create jobs, and the list continues. Rosa DeLauro has been able to maintain the majority support of the third district Connecticut residences in order to consistently secure her seat in the House regardless of the stance of the Democratic Party but this year Republican candidate Jerry Labriola is seeking to put an end to her reign. Labriola claims to be a fiscal conservative. He has attacked DeLauro and accused her of being a “…spend-thrift liberal Washington insider.” Labriola is concerned with the countries paralyzing debt of $ 12 trillion, and does not believe DeLauro understands the severity of this issue. This year Labriola has not agreed with any of the votes DeLauro has made. For example the Three major bills this year were the Healthcare bill, the Stimulus Package and the TARP (Trouble Asset Release Program); all of which DeLauro has voted yes in favor of while Labriola has opposed them all. With two candidates so different it is going to be interesting to discover how the people will vote in November.

Although Connecticut is a well known Democratic state this election may not come out as cut and dry as others may believe. I believe that the majority of the citizens are going to be focusing less on the position of the parties and more on the personal attributes of the candidates. Consequently, Rosa DeLauro’s desirable initiatives and familiarity among the people will may lead her to victory but Jerry Labriola may prevent her from winning by her usual landslide.