State Sen. Mark Schoesler (R-9) sent out an email to his GOP mailing list trying to hype any good news he could find for Republicans.

His example? Susan Hutchison's showing in several swing districts in Democratic King County.

Dear friends,

As we move toward 2010, I wanted to give you an update on how the political environment is changing in our favor.

The election results two weeks ago were a positive indicator for 2010. Republican candidates saw across the board improvements from just a year ago. Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey signaled that national politics are largely driving this movement. Voters here in Washington affirmed this trend through decisive victories in House races in the 9th and 15th legislative districts. Further, pollster Bob Moore released a poll last week showing that if last year’s gubernatorial race was replayed in 2009, that voters would have elected Dino Rossi by a five-point margin.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign is the performance of Susan Hutchison in key swing districts in King County. Although Hutchison got just 40.69% of the vote county-wide, her performance in districts with Senate seats up next year suggests a return of the GOP to the suburban crescent and south King County. Hutchison strongly carried Sen. Roach’s district, and racked up impressive showings in six other districts currently held by Democrats.

But wait. I thought Hutchison wasn't a Republican.