Vetting Congressional Candidates
Both parties are lining up potential candidates for Congress in ’08.
Do you know anything about these folks to indicate if they have a moderate temperament?
Are they deal makers or ideologues?
Are they pawns of special interests or independent thinkers?
To whom would a moderate voter want to give a donation?
Official Senate candidates:
Colorado — Open Seat
• Sen. Wayne Allard (R), retiring
Former Rep. Scott McInnis (R)
Rep. Mark Udall (D), below
Idaho
• Sen. Larry Craig (R)
Robert Vasquez (R)Illinois
• Sen. Dick Durbin (D)
Andy Martin (R)Iowa
• Sen. Tom Harkin (D)
Steve Rathje (R)
Minnesota
• Sen. Norm Coleman (R), above
Mike Ciresi (D)
Al Franken (D)New Hampshire
• Sen. John Sununu (R)
Steve Marchand (D)
Katrina Swett (D)Oklahoma
• Sen. James Inhofe (R)
Stephen Wallace (R)Oregon
• Sen. Gordon Smith (R)
Ty Pettit (D)
Official House candidates:
California-4
• Rep. John Doolittle (R)
Charlie Brown (D)
Florida-8
• Rep. Ric Keller (R)
Todd Long (R)
Florida-9
• Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R)
Bill Mitchell (D)
Florida-15
• Rep. Dave Weldon (R)
Bob Bowman (D)
Florida-16
• Rep. Tim Mahoney (D)
Gayle Harrell (R)
Tom Rooney (R)
Hal Valeche (R)
Georgia-10 — Open Seat
(Special election June 19 for seat held by the late Rep. Charlie Norwood [R] )
Bill Greene (R)
Terry Holley (D)
Ralph Hudgens (R)
Jim Whitehead (R)
Kansas-2
• Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)
Former Rep. Jim Ryun (R)
Minnesota-1
• Rep. Tim Walz (D)
Dick Day (R)
Mark Meyer (R)
New Hampshire-1
• Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D)
Former Rep. Jeb Bradley (R), above
North Carolina-8
• Rep. Robin Hayes (R)
Larry Kissell (D)
Pennsylvania-4
• Rep. Jason Altmire (D)
Ron Francis (R)
Texas-23
• Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D)
Jim McGrody (R)
5 Responses to “Vetting Congressional Candidates”
Do the Republicans have anyone further to the right than Inhofe?
I’d put Gordon Smith in the moderate/centrist category solely on the basis of him being a Republican who understands the need for government to help care for those who can’t care for themselves.
He’s also big on helping fund research on Tourette Syndrome, in which I have a personal interest, so I’m definitely biased, but I do think Smith’s a good guy, regardless, from what I can tell.
Plus he earned high marks from Ted Kennedy, at the TSA event I attended last week. So he clearly commands some respect across the aisle.
As far as Norm Coleman from Minnesota is concerned, he is actually proving to me more of a moderate than either Ciresi or Franken.
I have pretty much voted Democratic for the past several elections. Generally speaking the IR (Independent Republican) party here in Minnesota is way to conservative form my taste. But if Coleman ends up running against either Ciresi or Franken I will probably vote for Coleman. I didn’t vote for him when he ran in 2002, but Ciresi has no real substance and Franken is well…Franken.
Coleman was pretty much a Bush lapdog his first two years in office, but in the last two years he has taken a hard turn toward the center. Overall he is proving to be quite moderate in his voting record. In the big Senate vote on the non-binding resolution to oppose the “surge” Coleman was one of only two Republicans to vote yes on the resolution.
For the Colorado Senate choices…
Either one of them would be as moderate as the other, and both of them combined are about as moderate as the political love-child of Nancy Pelosi and Trent Lott.
Udall has his political power centered on City and County of Boulder. And Boulder, the hippie town that it is, loves them as far left as humanly possible.
McInnis has his political power centered on Colorado Springs. And The Springs, the center of evangelical Christian centers that it is, loves them as far right as humanly possible.
There will be no addition to the Brothers Salazar coming from this race. This is setting up to be one highly polarizing line-up to see who will become the junior senator from the Centennial State. So if you’re looking to send some moderate dollars their way, look somewhere else.
I am.
Rep.Carol Shea Porter (D)-NH
Only votes on party lines,offends our military by standing on the House floor and states there are no hero’s in Iraq.She is not open to all of her constiutents.Does not take the time to look at all the facts of any important vote and is closed mined.
Expect Jeb Bradley back in 2008,the voters of NH are not happy with Carol Shea Porter!!