In 1988, Wolfe received 35 percent of the vote as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd.
—William C. Martin
Analysts predict U.S. Rep. Amory “Amo” Houghton Jr. ’50, a Republican, will easily win reelection in a reshaped district in upstate New York.
Houghton, an eight-term incumbent, faces Democrat Kisun J. Peters and two minor party candidates.
Peters also ran against Houghton in 2000, when he took 23 percent of the vote. Peters has worked as a caseworker and school counselor.
Houghton fought for nearly two years to save much of his former Thirty-First District during the state’s redistricting process. His new race is in the state’s renamed Twenty-Ninth District.
The former chief executive of Corning, Inc., Amo Houghton is the brother of James R. Houghton ’58, who is the senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation.
—William C. Martin
In Michigan, observers believe David Fink ’74, a Democrat, is fighting an uphill battle in his race for U.S. representative against GOP incumbent Joe Knollenberg.
Fink, an attorney, and Knollenberg, a five-term incumbent, are running in Michigan’s new Ninth District, which analysts considered a toss-up at the beginning of the election season.
Democratic leaders had touted Fink as one of the party’s brightest stars, especially given his fundraising abilities. Through mid-October, Fink had raised $1.2 million and contributed the same amount of his own money to his campaign. Knollenberg had raised $1.9 million.
Fink has tried to paint Knollenberg as too conservative for the district. The two candidates have sparred over, among other issues, environmental protections and the proper course for potential U.S. action against Iraq.
—William C. Martin
U.S. Rep. David Vitter ’83 is running in Louisiana’s First District against two fellow Republicans—including an ophthalmologist and a radio talk show host.
Vitter, who has drastically outspent his opponents in this election cycle, is expected to easily win re-election in the field, which also includes a Libertarian candidate.
Vitter was first elected in 1999 to succeed Rep. Bob Livingston, who stepped down from office because of his own previous extra-marital affairs during the time when Republicans were censuring President Clinton for sexual infidelities.
In that race Vitter defeated former Gov. David Treen, who had been endorsed by Livingston.
Politically, Vitter has shown himself to be a strong conservative. Last year, Vitter was one of two Republicans who introduced legislation that tightened control over who could dispense the abortion pill RU-486.
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