Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, released this statement last night regarding the Republican victories in the Ohio and Virginia special elections:

National Republicans, right wing special interest groups, and 527's, like Freedom's Watch, are alive and well in Republican House races. They poured more than $500,000 in to save Bob Latta in a 39% Democratic performing district.

Tom Cole and the NRCC spending 20 percent of their cash on hand to retain one of the most Republican districts in the country — priceless.

In today's Virginia special election, state Delegate Rob Wittman has been elected to the remainder of the late Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis' (R) term.

With 96.66% of precincts reporting, Wittman has 62.96% of the vote against Democratic nominee Philip Forgit, an Iraq War veteran. The district is solidly Republican, giving President Bush 60% of the vote in 2006.

Today is Election Day in two special elections for the House: The Fifth District of Ohio, and the First District of Virginia, both of which were vacated through the deaths of Republican incumbents.

The race in Ohio might just be the one to watch. Although the district went for President Bush by a 22% margin in 2004, the race has been thrown into the air by a divisive Republican primary and the lackluster general election campaign by GOP nominee Bob Latta. The Politico reports that internal polling for the Latta campaign has actually shown him trailing Dem nominee Robin Weirauch by four points.

A Weirauch win, or even a close loss, would leave the Republicans in very poor spirits heading into 2008.

The National Republican Congressional Committee isn't taking anything for granted in an upcoming special election in Virginia, even though the district itself is heavily Republican. Roll Call reports that the NRCC is spending about $39,000 to attack the Democratic candidate, Iraq War veteran Philip Forgit, and about $3,100 on phone banking to get out the vote for Republican state Delegate Rob Wittman.

The First Congressional District went for President Bush with 60% of the vote in 2004, and gave George Allen 54% of the vote in 2006. It was vacated by the death of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. The special election will be held December 11.

At a special convention held yesterday in Virginia's First Congressional District, Republicans picked state Delegate Rob Wittman as their nominee for the December 11 special election.

The seat was made vacant in October through the death of Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R), whose husband Chuck Davis unsuccessfully sought the nomination. Ultimately, the contest came down to Wittman and the much more conservative businessman Paul Jost.

At their event this weekend, the Democrats selected Iraq War veteran Philip Forgit. The Republicans are heavily favored to retain the seat, which voted 60% for President Bush in 2004, and 54% for George Allen in the 2006 Senate race.

Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) has died of breast cancer. She was 57 year old.

Congresswoman Davis was first elected to the House in 2000, becoming the first female Republican elected to Congress from Virginia, and had a strongly conservative voting record.