Many House Democrats are wringing their hands, trying to figure out what went wrong in last Tuesday’s special congressional election in New York, where a little-known GOP candidate swept to victory in a heavily Democratic district.
But while others are reading the tea leaves, Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, will get the inside scoop. That’s because his communications director, Elizabeth Kerr, took a leave of absence from the congressman’s office to work for the losing Democrat’s campaign. Kerr has been in New York for weeks, trying to bolster the bid of David Weprin, a former state assemblyman who lost to Republican Bob Turner, a cable executive.
Himes said he hasn’t “gotten the war stories yet.” He was letting Kerr recover from a contest that drew national attention and gave Democrats the jitters about 2012.
On Monday, Kerr was back in Himes’ congressional office, but was more focused on ramping back up her work for the 4th District Connecticut Democrat than rehashing the just-finished special election. “I’m really glad to be back,” Kerr said.