2010 elections

Dems Trying To Turn Pete Sessions Into The Right's Harry Reid?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 27, 2010, 8:40PM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't the only party leader on Capitol Hill with a target on his back this year. According to CQ, NRCC chair and conservative darling Pete Sessions (R-TX) has now been targeted for defeat by national Democrats.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will be among the guests at a fundraiser for the Democratic nominee running against Sessions, lawyer Grier Raggio. A DCCC source told CQ that the stop isn't just a formality -- the organization has put Sessions on its list of potentially targeted races this year and has been hammering him in press releases.

Even with the backing of the national party, however, Raggio faces an uphill climb against the well-funded and even more well-connected Sessions, who's a fixture on the national scene. But Sessions faces a slew of tea party-inspired conservative opponents on the right before the general election, which DCCC officials have called a sign that Sessions position is weakening.

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TX-32

Sessions Opponent Raises Cash Off 'Smoker' Remark

Rachel Slajda | November 10, 2009, 2:10PM

Democratic candidate Grier Raggio, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Last week, during a Rules Committee meeting on the health care bill, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) angered a lot of people when he implied it's OK to charge women more for health insurance, comparing them to smokers. Now, his Democratic challenger is trying to cash in on the outrage.

First, what happened: At the meeting, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) had been railing against gender discrimination in insurance pricing when Sessions interjected, "But that's not against the law."

"No, but we would make it against the law," Pallone responded. "Why do you have a problem with that? Why should a woman pay more than a man?"

"Well, we're all different," Sessions said. "Why should a smoker pay more?"

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