Shamansky making inroads

Time is starting to run out, but as early polling showed if Shamansky can get his message out there, he can win this district. CQ updated OH-12 from “Safe Republican” to “Republican Favored”.

12th District: Are you old enough to remember ? really remember ? the 1980 presidential race between Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan? The disco era? The Philadelphia Phillies defeating the Kansas City Royals in the World Series?

Then perhaps, at least if you hail from an area of central Ohio in and around Columbus, you might recall the name of Bob Shamansky ? a one-term House member a quarter-century ago who has emerged as the latest, and one of the least likely, Democrats to elbow his way into competition this year.

The willingness of the 79-year-old Shamansky ? who won a House election in 1980 but was unseated two years later ? to invest a sizable sum of his own money in his challenge to three-term Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi has spurred CQPolitics.com to change its rating on the race to Republican Favored from Safe Republican.

Tiberi remains a heavy favorite to win re-election. Though he faced a competitive open-seat election when he first ran for the House in 2000, he has twice coasted to re-election over meager competition.

But the 12th, overall, would not be mistaken for a Republican stronghold: Bush only edged Democratic challenger John Kerry here by 51 percent to 49 percent.