Rob Russell is hoping to go from a sore loser to a dark horse winner. The Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District is retiring his band, “Rob Russell & the Sore Losers,” on Saturday to concentrate on his campaign against Republican candidate and Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe. Russell said he’s got a calling and if he doesn’t win, he plans to come back and run again in two years. The 38-year-old defeated Michael Donihe in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary. But he’s facing a much harder struggle as a Democrat in the traditional Republican stronghold in northeast Tennessee. A Democrat hasn’t held that congressional seat since 1881. Meanwhile, he’s also the director of the East Tennessee State University’s Writing and Communication Center.