New U.S. Representative-elect Mary Jo Kilroy's (D-Columbus) campaign manager told PolitickerOH.com that Kilroy's victory was largely her own and came at the cost of the strongest Republican recruit in the country.

When asked if Kilroy owes her success to Barack Obama's candidacy given her narrow loss to U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce in 2006 when there was no presidential contest, campaign manager Randy Borntrager put the credit firmly on Kilroy's shoulders.

"We had Governor Strickland and Sherrod Brown in '06 as well," Borntrager said of up-ticket Democrats running last cycle. "I'll leave it for another day with the speculation I think. We'll just be happy with a victory."

Borntrager said Kilroy has run competitively both years in a tough district and against statewide Republican leaders two years ago and a formidable Republican this year. She'll be the first Democrat to represent any part of Franklin County since 1982.

Kilroy was announced as the winner of the 15th Congressional District race Sunday, 33 days after Election Day and a slew of legal challenges over provisional ballots. Following the tabulation of tens of thousands of provisional and overseas absentee ballots, Kilroy beat Republican Steve Stivers by 2,311 votes. Stivers conceded Sunday night.

"She ran against leadership in '06 and came within a hair of victory. She ran against what Republicans widely acknowledged was their best recruit in America," he said after Sunday's press conference. "She's a fantastic candidate. She worked hard. This is a 50-50 district that's been Republican for years. Let's not take away from that tonight. We're pretty happy with how she performed and change is coming to the 15th. I'm happy."

Borntrager did not say whether he would join Kilroy as her chief of staff in Washington, D.C.

Kilroy communications director Brad Bauman will return to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan's (D-Niles) Washington office this month.