Some Boring Stuff that Happened 37 Years Ago

Conservative Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lausche (D-Cleveland) was popular with general election voters, having won five elections for governor and two elections for U.S. senator. However, in 1968, Senator Lausche found himself on the outs with the liberal base of his party. Labor unions backed liberal former Congressman John Gilligan (D-Cincinnati) against Senator Lausche in the Democratic primary. Congressman Gilligan handily defeated Senator Lausche in May, but then went on to lose narrowly to Attorney General William Saxbe (R-Mechanicsville) in November. So, why am I telling you this story of a party losing a Senate seat after rejecting a popular maverick senator? How is it potentially relevant today? Stay tuned. I'll tell you tomorrow.