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.