While Bill Young is looking more and more shaky with thanks his involvement in the Walter Reed scandal, the Democratic Party -- both state and federal -- are seeing FL-10 as a prime pickup opportunity in the US House.
Adam C. Smith of the St. Pete Times reported this morning that the DCCC is sending out feelers to prospective candidates to challenge for C.W. "Bill" Young's congressional seat.
A recruiter with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently met with prospective Democratic candidates from St. Petersburg including former state House Speaker Peter Wallace, former state Rep. Lars Hafner, and businessman and neighborhood activist Karl Nurse.
The article also names several other prospective candidates that the DCCC has blinder on towards. Samm Simpson is the most notable one, as she ran in 2006 and had problems fundraising. Several newly elected state representatives were named as well as newly elected state senator Charlie Justice -- but all three are comfortable in their positions at current (though ego and ambition could compel anyone to attempt to jump to congress).
One notable name that isn't mentioned in this article is former Florida house candidate Carl Zimmermann who nearly won a sharply Republican district last November with thanks to his ability to understand issues and speak to people across party lines. He also accomplished this feat while raising only a quarter of the money his competitor earned during the election cycle.
Whatever the case, Florida's 10th congressional district -- takign up much of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County -- near Tampa) is in play. How badly the Democrats want it and who will step up to challenge is anyone's guess.