Sen. Murray: NY-26 shows Dems can play 'offense' in '12

Senate Democrats have taken heart from their party's win in the House special election in New York on Tuesday.

Democrat Kathy Hochul won an upset victory in the heavily Republican 26th district, giving party strategists hope they can successfully defend their 23 Senate seats up this cycle.

"The election last night showed that Democrats have the keys to drive the budget debate and play offense in 2012," Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
 
Tuesday's race, she said, had national implications.

"The results provide clear evidence that Democratic senators and Senate candidates will be able to play offense across the country by remaining focused on the Republican effort to end Medicare and force seniors to pay thousands more for healthcare costs," Murray said.

Guy Cecil, executive director of the DSCC, also released a strategy memo calling Medicare "the single most influential issue in the public debate."

"Democrats lost seniors by 21 points in 2010. What is clear from the results of last night's special election is that the Republican effort to end Medicare will enable Democrats to close that gap in 2012," he wrote. "As this week's vote on the Republican budget plan approaches, Republican senators and Senate candidates will face more scrutiny on the issue."

During the New York race, the emergence of Medicare reform as an issue "changed the climate," presenting Democrats with an opportunity to capture the heavily Republican district, according to Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The race was about three issues, he said: "Medicare, Medicare and Medicare.

"The fact that Republicans had to put in three and a half million dollars in one of the most Republican districts in the country doesn't bode well for Republicans in better districts in the country," Israel said.

--Updated at 10:07 a.m.