Bergmann-Cohen race tightens!

Durning this campaign season, I have focused most of my attention and energy and political contributions on our own local Republican candiditates, but I have followed and occationally contributed to other high profile races such as Sharron Angle's race in Nevada where she is challenging Harry Reid and Marco Rubio's race in Florida and a very few others.

One of the races I have been following is the Charlotte Bergmann challenge to Steve Cohen. Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen is by any measure absolutely one of the most liberal members of the U. S. Congress and he is being challenged by a conservative African American female supported by the tea party. I would find it extremely gratifying to see a Black conservative women defeat an extremely liberal white guy. I have had the chance to meet Ms Bergman a couple of times and she is a delightful person. I have followed her race quite closely. I respect her for being willing to take on Cohen but thought she was probably tilting at windmills. I frankly did not thing she had a chance. Her district is overwhelming a liberal district.

Now, however, it looks like that race is tightening if you can believe this report from the Commercial Appeal. She may actually win! I am keeping my fingers crossed. I would be as happy to see Bergmann defeat Cohen as any race outcome in the country.

Commercial Appeal Reveals Race Tightening
Says Charlotte Bergmann Tougher Opponent that Cohen Anticipated

Going into the 2010 election cycle, conventional political wisdom held that U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, the incumbent 9th Congressional District representative from Memphis, would face his toughest test in the Democratic primary before cruising to victory in November.

After all, it was former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton challenging Cohen in the primary, and the general election would likely pit him against a Republican candidate embracing tea-party philosophy in a district where 77 percent of the voters went for President Barack Obama in 2008.

But that general-election opponent, a rare African-American Republican candidate named Charlotte Bergmann, appears to be galvanizing more anti-Cohen support than Herenton could muster (he got just 21 percent of the vote) and is heading a campaign that in many ways is more aggressively taking on Cohen.

For the complete story in the Commercial Appeal click here.

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