Herseth Added to ‘Frontline’

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/49_132/news/5765-1.html (subscription required)

Even before Rep. Stephanie Herseth is formally sworn into the 108th Congress today, the narrowly elected South Dakota Democrat has assumed a slot on the party’s list of most threatened Members.

Herseth, an attorney, isn’t wasting any time after edging out state Sen. Larry Diedrich (R) in Tuesday’s special election. The newest member of the Democratic Caucus will be sworn in this morning on the House floor, will join the conservative Blue Dog Coalition and secured a slot as one of 19 “Frontline,” or most vulnerable, House Democrats. Frontline is a fundraising initiative created this cycle by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to help secure threatened incumbents’ re-elections.

“The race starts today,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stressed to her Caucus in a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning. Herseth will be back on the trail this fall as she campaigns to win a full two-year term in November.

At today’s swearing-in ceremony, Herseth will be introduced by Pelosi and joined on the floor by her fellow South Dakota lawmakers, Democratic Sens. Tim Johnson and Tom Daschle, the Minority Leader. Herseth also will meet privately with the party’s top House leaders, and with a larger share of the Caucus at the Democrats’ weekly Whip meeting. Pelosi is hosting a welcoming reception in Herseth’s honor later in the day.

[TheDonkey]

1. Too bad she'll be the youngest DINO but a (D) is a positive

over the options of having that repuke.

[NewJerseyDem]

2. She'll be okay

She has to be pretty conservative for South Dakota, especially early on. I believe that both Daschle and Johnson have more liberal voting records than they once did because they are more entrenched no.

[jsw_81]

3. She'll be fine

22 of the last 23 members elected in a special election ended up winning a full term.