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Democrats also are advising their candidates to stress their political independence and avoid becoming caricatured as captives of Washington. Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who chairs the House Democrats' campaign operation, points to his party's 5-0 record in House special elections last year as proof that his party can still win with the right candidates and message. That record will be tested again this spring, with special elections to fill three House seats, all held by Democrats: The Pennsylvania seat of the late Rep. John Murtha. The Florida seat of former Rep. Robert Wexler, who resigned last month to run a Middle East think tank. The Hawaii seat of Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who's said he will resign Sunday to run for governor. Van Hollen said incumbents facing re-election battles are being urged to "vote in an independent-minded way
-- sometimes with the majority, and sometimes not. Sometimes with Obama, and sometimes not." Of the former GOP lawmakers running to reclaim seats, Van Hollen said, "Voters don't believe that turning the keys back to the guys who drove over the ditch in the first place is a good alternative." Republican Steve Chabot, running for his old seat in a Cincinnati-area district he lost in 2008 to Democrat Steve Driehaus, is working hard not to fall into that trap. Despite his seven terms in the House, Chabot believes he can still position himself as the independent outsider in the race and frame Driehaus as being too deferential to Democratic leaders in Congress. "Rather than do what's right for the people here, he's followed Nancy Pelosi's lead on virtually everything," Chabot said of Driehaus. Republicans consider Driehaus' seat one of their best targets, but Chabot said he's raising most of the money for his race in and around his district. "I've always felt you're very much on your own when you are running," Chabot said. "If the party is able to help, we appreciate that, but we are not depending on it."
[Associated
Press;
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