The Future of Jim Walsh's Seat Unclear

Jim Walsh, the upstate Republican Congressman whose opposition to the Iraq War was threatening to be a campaign problem for him, announced earlier today he’s not seeking re-election.

Both sides of the aisle say they'll win the seat.

State Republican Chairman Joe Mondello sent out this statement:

“I am confident that the voters of the 25th district will select another quality Republican to represent their needs, and New York's Republican Party will be working hard to help deliver their message to the voters.”

While state Democratic Party spokesman Jonathan Rosen sent this statement:

“Last year a Democratic challenger came within a hairsbreadth of defeating Jim Walsh, so it’s no surprise that he’s chosen to forego a rematch. With the seat open, I think you can bank on an aggressive campaign by Democrats at the local, state and national level to add this seat to the Democratic column.”

There are 150,748 registered Republican voters in the district, 134,906 registered Democratic voters, and 109,313 unaffiliated voters, and Congressional Quarterly has reclassified the district from “leans Republican” to “no clear favorite."

A diarist on DailyKos, who “certainly did not see this coming,” is hopeful that the challenger Rosen was referring to, Dan Maffei, can claim the seat.

Liz has information on the folks waiting to jump into the race.

Predictions?