Hoyer: Cranley-Chabot makes the Dem top ten list

Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who is House minority whip, came to Cincinnati Thursday with a message that would seem to dispel the rumors that the national Democratic party has been losing interest in John Cranley's campaign to unseat Republican Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District.

"This is one of the top 10 races for us in the country,'' said Hoyer, who spent time with Cranley Thursday at the Laborers Hall in Evanston and at fundraising reception in the downtown law office of Hamilton County Democratic Party chairman Tim Burke.

"We've got a great candidate and we are going to win this,'' said Hoyer, a former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Hoyer said Cranley's challenge will be "make the people of the district see know that re-electing Chabot means more of the same.''

After touting Cranley on the Ohio side of the river, Hoyer crossd over into the Commonwealth of Kentuckyto attend an event for Ken Lucas, the former Democratic congressman who is trying to unseat Rep. Geoff Davis.

Lucas isn't quite as high up the list as Cranley apparently. Hoyer said the Lucas-Davis "ranks in the top 20'' of House races for the Democrats.