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Miami HeraldChallenges to Diaz-Balarts draw national attention
The stakes are high as Democrats challenge Miami Republicans in what is turning into an increasingly contentious campaign being closely watched on the national level by both parties.
By LESLEY CLARK
[email protected] With little more than a month to go before their first serious reelection challenge goes to voters, Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart have launched TV ads that accuse one Democratic challenger of corruption and the other of backing an $88 million utility-rate hike.
Democrats Raul Martinez and Joe Garcia have fired back -- lambasting the brothers as out-of-touch politicians who cater to entrenched special interests, ignoring the needs of middle-class homeowners.
Observers expect the barrage of attacks -- which often twist the facts -- to escalate in the final weeks of the campaign as both parties keep a close eye on some of the nation's most competitive House races.
For Democrats, victory could lead to lasting inroads into districts long considered reliably Republican. The GOP is determined to hold the seats in an effort to maintain a strong minority in the House, where Democrats hold an edge, 235-199.
''This one will take the cake,'' said David Wasserman, who tracks House races for the nonpartisan Cook Report and has predicted that the Lincoln DiazBalart/Martinez matchup will be ``one of the ugliest races in the country.''
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http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/702218.html
Lincoln, (L) and Mario (R) Diaz Balart,
in the back, Jeb Bush with
Cuban Senator Mel Martinez foreground.
Lincoln, foreground with George W. Bush
Mario, behind him, and Jeb Bush.