From the
Deseret News "Former GOP congressman Merrill Cook announced Wednesday that he will
challenge U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, for the Republican Party nomination in the 3rd District." This is great news for Democrats, and I will tell you why after the fold...
While Cook may be crazy and one of the losingest candidates in recent memory [only slightly better than Bob Shrum], he still was elected twice to the House of Representatives. Cook's "old Salt Lake County 2nd District [pre-2002 redistricting]encompassed nearly half of today's 3rd District on the county's west side." Cook said he has "always gotten my most support from independent-minded Republicans -- and I've won some [voter] precincts on Salt Lake County's west side."
More importantly, Cook has repeatedly spent his own fortune (so much that relatives have begged him to give up politics) on such campaigns. "Cook has spent more than $3 million of his own money running for various offices since 1984."
Yet at the same time Clinton Impeachment manager, brother of state party chairman, co-owner of a SuperFund site producing steel mill, and general idiot Chris Cannon never raises any money: "the latest Federal Election Commission reports shows he has only $97,000 on hand. Matheson has $647,700."
UT-02's Rep. Jim Matheson (D) will likely face St. Rep. LaVar Christensen (the most Utah name out there) in a relative cakewalk this year.
Will he win the primary? Probabbly not? Would Cook still run as an independant, thereby giving a Democrat a real chance? Maybe. Would this suck up money that would otherwise go to more vulerable GOPers or against more vulerable Democrats this cycle? You bet.