Victory From Defeat

Courtesy of Hesoid, via DailyKos:

1974

U.S CONGRESS

JOHN PAUL HAMMERSCHMIDT (Rep) 52%
BILL CLINTON (Dem) 48%

Clinton attempted to launch his political career when he was 28 years old by challenging an entrenched Republican incumbent Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt in 1974. Hammerschmidt was first elected to Congress in 1966 to serve Arkansas’ Third district, which is in the northwestern part of the state, and a Republican stronghold. Hammerschmidt had received 77 percent of the vote in the 1972 election. Clinton came close, losing by only 5,000 votes out of 170,000 votes cast. Although Clinton was narrowly defeated, the race drew statewide attention.

Democrat Paul Hackett lost Tuesday's special election by the same small margin, in a solidly Republican district.

As I said yesterday, we haven't heard the last of Hackett.