National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) predicted this week that state Sen. Steve Stivers (R) is going to win big in the Columbus-area district held by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R).

“Stivers is going to beat Kilroy really badly,” Cole told reporters at a breakfast Monday. “I’ve seen the survey [data] and Deborah Pryce would have been re-elected easily. Her numbers are great.”

Stivers faces 2006 Democratic nominee Mary Jo Kilroy this November. Kilroy came close to winning the seat in 2006 but lost by just more than 1,000 votes, giving Democrats hope of picking up the open seat.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Ryan Rudominer called Stivers a former paid lobbyist who “isn’t going to solve problems confronting Ohio families.”

“In Congress, Mary Jo Kilroy will provide a strong voice for Central Ohio and will continue her fight to make college and health care more affordable, and ease the economic crunch for Ohio’s middle class,” Rudominer said.
— David M. Drucker and Shira Toeplitz