Democrats See New Hope in Republican Strongholds

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > The Senate: "Candidates in Alaska, Colorado and Oklahoma are mounting strong challenges, as Democrats look to offset potential losses from retirements in the South.

Further fueling Democratic optimism about the West is the fact that most party incumbents there are holding their own. Neither Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who in 1998 won by fewer than 500 votes, nor Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is facing a strong challenge. Senator Barbara Boxer of California remains the favorite in her race against Bill Jones, a former California secretary of state. Democrats say the chief concern they have in the region is protecting the seat held by Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who is facing Representative George R. Nethercutt Jr.

Republicans acknowledge that the contests here and in Alaska and Oklahoma are likely to be competitive. But they say they are playing on friendly turf in a presidential year, given that President Bush carried all three states in 2000 by wide margins. And they say the fact that seasoned Republicans like Mayor Kirk Humphreys of Oklahoma City, who is seeking to succeed Don Nickles, a Republican who is retiring, are willing to slug it out in primaries shows that the candidates believe they can win in the general election."