OH-02: Schmidt (R) Brags About Polling at Only 51%

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) is crowing about internal polling (always to be taken with a grain of salt) that shows her at only 51%, even in her base counties (Clermont and Warren), revealing just how precarious her position is despite her incumbency. Yes, Victoria Wulsin (D-Indian Hill) comes in at 33% in Schmidt's polling, indicating some damage from the insanely negative and misleading assault on her by primary opponent Steve Black, but Schmidt barely cracks the critical 50% line even without a serious primary challenge. Wulsin received 14,074 more votes than Wulsin in the March 4th primary, a troubling sign for the incumbent.

Although Wulsin hasn't been picked up by the DCCC yet, I expect it to happen. Strong institutional support was signaled by the visit yesterday of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who said "Dr. Wulsin is committed to serving the families of Southern Ohio and addressing the issues that matter most - solving our healthcare crisis, bringing our soldiers home from Iraq, and working with other members of Congress to invest in creating good jobs. I am dedicated to helping Vic win this November because we need her skills and experience in Washington.”