(Newser)
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Conservative, "Blue Dog" Democrats became even more of an endangered species after a pair of primary defeats in Pennsylvania Tuesday. Rep. Tim Holden—the dean of the state's Congressional delegation—was defeated in a redrawn district by lawyer Matt Cartwright, who attacked Holden for voting against ObamaCare, the AP reports. Cartwright, who won 57% to Holden's 43%, said his "own core political beliefs are a much better fit for the new district," which includes many liberal Democrats taken from GOP-held districts.
Another Blue Dog incumbent, Rep. Jason Altmire, lost a hard-fought primary to fellow incumbent Rep. Mark Critz. The state is losing a House seat and Republicans in charge of redistricting put Altmire and Critz in a redrawn new district, the Washington Post notes. Altmire had previously represented around two-thirds of the district but Critz prevailed after winning support from labor unions and Bill Clinton. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, five-term Republican Rep. Tim Murphy easily won his primary over a Tea Party-backed challenger.
