WASHINGTON, 4 August 2005 — A veteran of the Iraqi war who drew national attention to a Congressional runoff in Ohio by highlighting his military service and harshly criticizing President Bush, narrowly lost the House seat Tuesday to his Republican counterpart.

Paul Hackett, 43, a lawyer and major in the Marine reserves who recently completed a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq, called Bush’s July 2003 “Bring ‘em on!” comment about Iraqi insurgents “the most incredibly stupid comment I’ve ever heard a president of the United States make.” Hackett said it encouraged the enemy to attack American troops. Hackett also called Bush a “chicken hawk” for failing to serve in Vietnam, and said the president was a “person who advocates war in a cavalier way.” He also sharply questioned Bush’s policies on tax cuts and Social Security.

Both Democrats and Republicans closely watched this congressional election, narrowly won by Jean Schmidt, a Republican former state lawmaker. Both parties say Tuesday’s election could serve as a bellwether for next year’s midterm elections.

Schmidt, 53, will succeed Republican Rob Portman who stepped down this year after being named US trade representation by President Bush. Portman held the seat for 12 years, consistently winning with more than 70 percent of the vote. Schmidt squeaked by in the heavily GOP district, with only 52 percent of the vote.

Democrats believe that Hackett’s strong challenge — he garnered 48 percent of the vote — will set a template for future campaigns by Democratic war veterans. Republicans say they viewed Hackett’s attacks as a call to arms, and poured money and resources into the district to ensure his defeat. President Bush taped a telephone message to voters, and the National Republican Congressional Committee bought $325,000 in airtime for televisions spots over the weekend.

Reporters who covered the Ohio election, say a Republican Party organization in Clermont Country, Ms. Schmidt’s base, turned out voters in far greater numbers than expected, thus pushing her over the top. Notably, Schmidt won easily in most of the wealthy Cincinnati suburbs, while Hackett won in the district’s more rural counties.

The local newspaper also took sides in this election: the Cincinnati Post endorsed Hackett, calling him, “a gust of fresh air.” “If we had to put a label on him, it would be Libertarian Democrat. He says what he thinks and doesn’t seem to have much use for the orthodoxy, or the partisanship, of either party. He doesn’t want the government telling him what kinds of guns he can own, nor does he want it interfering in family or medical decisions or taking away civil liberties in the name of fighting terror. He regards Social Security more as an insurance program than a retirement savings plan, but wants to put it on a sound footing and would raise the earnings ceiling if necessary to do so.”

The Post said it endorsed him because: “if elected, he would be the only member of Congress with direct military experience in Iraq — which, he says, is a fight we should end as soon as possible. He wants to finish the job and get out.”

As for Hackett, he has remained stoic throughout his campaign. He told his supporters at a downtown Cincinnati theater yesterday: “Tonight was a victory for democracy. People had a real choice.” Asked about his future plans, Hackett, who spent several months in Iraq leading a civil affairs unit in Ramadi and Fallujah before returning to Ohio in March, says he plans to sign up for another tour of duty in Iraq, possibly by next summer.