President Obama named Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) to serve as Secretary of the Army, the New York Times reports. McHugh is the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee and well respected by both parties for his understanding of military issues.
With the appointment, Obama gives the Democrats a good chance to pick up an another House seat in a special election. The NY-23 district has been trending Democratic in recent years with President Obama winning 52% of the vote in the district against John McCain.
If Democrats were able to flip the seat, it would leave only two Republicans in New York's 29-member House delegation.