Now that Katherine Harris is officially not going to be my Congresswoman next cycle (thank ya Lord!), and since we've already examined the Democrats likely to run for her seat (both Jan Schneider, the 2002 and 2004 nominee, and Christine Jennings, a 2004 candidate, have filed to run), let's take a look at the likely Republican challengers.
The list is pretty long, meaning we'll hopefully see one of those vicious, nasty primaries where the candidates keep trying to call each other liberal while sounding like Joe Scarborough on speed:
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Rep. Nancy Detert- one of the more moderate Republicans in the state, meaning she's often trying to keep her party conservative instead of ultra-conservative (thinks some abortions are permissible and didn't side with Jeb! on Schiavo). She's term-limited this cycle, so she needed another office to seek--this is a perfect opportunity for her, and she's already announced she'll enter the race.
Rep. Donna Clarke- Her term limits hit next cycle, but it's never too soon to start planning ahead. She supports the Bush Bros. in almost all regards, and would be a rubber-stamp with even less independence than Katherine exercised. She's also got a primary challenge from a prominent local Republican if she stays in the state house. She's running.
Rep. Bill Galvano- Also signed onto Terri's Law (aka the Invasion of Privacy in Traumatic Situations Act). Been in office for four years, but was reelected comfortably and seems to have his base. Not absolutely certain he's running, but he's running.
Tramm Hudson- Former head of the Sarasota County Republican Party. Big supporter of Congresswoman Harris, and actually wanted her seat until she announced and he steped back. There've been rumors that he was upset she didn't run for Graham's Senate seat last year, but he seems perfectly happy now. He's running.
Vern Buchanan- The current inside-the-beltway buzz is looking good for Buchanan, who helped Sen. Mel Martinez slander his way into office last year. He's rich, good at raising money and sells used cars--Congress is a natural fit for him. He's got Chamber of Commerce contacts out the wazoo, and was considered a likely Senate candidate if Harris didn't announce for Nelson's seat. He also gave Ahnold $10,000, so it's possible he could attract celebrity attention or endorsements for his ads. He's running.
You know, this could be a lot of fun to watch. There are a few others considering the race, but with three already certain and a few others pretty much guaranteed to run, I'd imagine that five or six is the largest field we'll see.
There are millions of dollars in personal finances on the Republican side, and more than enough vituperative and self-promoting consultants out there to keep these guys slinging crap at each other for the next year.
(For those that want to follow this incipient circus, I highly recommend Jeremy Wallace's work for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, viewable online at www.snn6.com)