Pundits rated Representative Connie Morella the most vulnerable Republican incumbent in the House of Representatives, but her defeat was no easy victory for state senator Chris Van Hollen. Morella was remarkably popular among voters, and Van Hollen's campaign resources were seriously depleted by a tough primary battle. Van Hollen relied on his activist base and party soft money spending to remain competitive and ultimately win the election. In the end, however, redistricting proved the most important factor in Morella's defeat. Morella won a majority of the vote in the portion of the district that she had represented in 2000 but lost in the heavily Democratic precincts added by redistricting. Van Hollen's narrow victory demonstrates the flexibility of modern party organizations. The Democrat-controlled state legislature created a winnable district, and the national party organization provided the television advertising and fundraising support necessary to secure victory.