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When his own primary voters scuttled Democratic Rep. Alan Mollohan's reelection bid last May, many weren't sure whether it was a good thing or bad thing for the party's chances of holding his West Virginia seat.

Mr. Mollohan, who was seeking his 15th term, was widely seen as unbeatable. The champion pork-barreler had not faced a serious GOP challenge in a decade. On the other hand, without an entrenched Democratic incumbent in the race, the district seemed easy pickings for a Republican. Some 57% of voters flocked to John McCain in 2008 despite a Democratic edge in voter registrations. More recently, an internal poll for Mike Oliverio, the Democratic candidate who overthrew Mr. Mollohan, finds that 60% of local voters believe the economy is in "bad" shape, and 70% say the country is headed in the wrong direction and President Obama is doing a "not so good" job.

Even so, the same poll claims Mr. Oliverio currently leads his Republican rival David McKinley by an impressive 52%-36% margin. True, the poll was conducted by Democratic firm Hamilton Campaigns, and all partisan polls should be taken with a grain of salt. But Mr. McKinley acknowledges that his own polls also show him trailing.

Still, in an interview last week, the Republican didn't seem too fazed. An engineering firm owner, Mr. McKinley has served as West Virginia GOP chairman, state legislator and unsuccessful 1996 gubernatorial candidate. He's already dropped more than $500,000 on his own race and says he's willing to spend more if that's what it takes. "I'm not in this for practice," he tells RCP. Even the Democratic pollster, Hamilton Strategies, predicts the race will tighten up.

The outgoing Mr. Mollohan was not only a 14-term "incumbent" in a year when incumbents are out of favor. His Democratic primary opponent, Mr. Oliverio, assailed him as "one of the most corrupt members of Congress" thanks to extensive allegations about Mr. Mollohan's personal investments and his use of earmarks.

Cleaning house may end up paying off for Democrats. If the upstart Mr. Oliverio can hold the northern West Virginia district, it would be a lucky break for a party that's in danger of losing several previously safe seats in the region.