C.W. "Bill" Young finally gets the challenger that some kossacks have been waiting for for quite some time.
Flordia State Senator Charlie Justice will be challenging for the FL-10 house seat come 2010, as was announced yesterday. Justice is the most prominent Pinellas county Democratic name, with higher name ID and county-wide exposure than previous challengers Bob Hackworth (2008) and Samm Simpson (2006).
This isn't the longest diary in the world, and I do apologize for that because there are a derth of diaries here at dKos that lack substance... But the Justice declaration of candidacy sets a whole new precedent for Fl-10 (which went for Obama in 2008 and has a mixed record in recent presidential elections) and is always in play.
FL-10, for those not aware, encompasses a majority of the Pinellas County peninsula in the Tampa Bay area on Florida's gulf coast. It includes parts of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, the beach communities and more.
But one thing that has not let the Democrats make a dent in Young's armor has been both the inability to fundraise, along with Young's ability to drive pork to the Tampa Bay area. The fundraising issue handcuffed Bob Hackworth's congressional campaign last cycle (his late entry into the race didn't help) while Samm Simpson was in the same boat with a much further-left position on issues that limited mainstream voter appeal.
But with more than a year to generate funds, and a track record of winning tough fought elections, Justice changes the entire story of the district and paints it as a prime pickup opportunity.
Update: I left out a few remarks in order to try to get the story up... Justice is 39 and paints a strong contrast Bill Young who is pushing 80. So strong that I would not be surprised if Young is either asked to step aside in 2010 or faces GOP primary challenges. Anyone who challenges Young (if he does not retire) on the GOP side will likely be an outsider and not a serious candidate. There's too much respect for Young (from both the local parties) to play along with the "replace him so we compete" story from the national Republican party.
But if Young steps aside for a fresher candidate, anarchy will ensue and a rush of candidates will emerge to represent the GOP in the election.
I'd also like to point out that Justice's campaign web site is up (sorta). There is no information right now except for an email signup area.