Ford, for example, faced no real Republican opponent last fall. In November, William Clay Jr. easily won the election for the Missouri seat that his father, William Clay Sr., had held for 32 years. In 1995, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson was able to plant his son, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., in a safe district on the South Side of Chicago, his longtime power base. When the late Henry Gonzalez won his South Texas seat in 1961, he became one of the first Latinos to represent the Lone Star state in the House. In 1998, when the irascible Gonzalez stepped down, his son, Charlie, took over.
Young politicians fortunate to step into such posts generally find their path is clear.
Every four years, the Washington press corps is shocked to learn that most voters don't pay much attention to political news until the final few days before the election. As a result, name recognition can frequently be the difference between success and failure. Sure, maverick Ariz. Sen. John McCain did well in New Hampshire, where he camped out and spent enough time to personally meet most of the Granite State's voting population. But once the campaign went national, McCain was at a severe disadvantage. Even had he raised twice as much money, McCain could never have boosted his name recognition to rival that of a man who shares the name of a recent president.