GOP to contest more seats in 2010

NY Times:

Republicans are luring new candidates into Congressional races and analysts say the number of seats up for grabs in November appears to be growing, setting up a midterm election likely to be harder fought than anyone anticipated prior to the party’s big victory in Massachusetts last week.

Republicans still face many obstacles, not least a series of potentially divisive primaries in coming months that will highlight the deep ideological rifts within the party. But in the days since Republicans claimed the Senate seat that had been held for decades by Edward M. Kennedy, upending assumptions in both parties about the political landscape for 2010, they have seen not just a jolt of energy and optimism but concrete opportunities to take on Democrats in more contests.

Just since Tuesday, half a dozen Republican candidates have expressed interest in challenging Democrats in House races in Pennsylvania, New York and potentially Massachusetts, party officials said.

“I think it was inspiring and gave voice to a lot of people,” said Mike Fitzpatrick, a former one-term Republican congressman from the Philadelphia suburbs who announced on Saturday he would try to reclaim his old seat from Representative Patrick J. Murphy, a Democrat.

Representative John Boozman, Republican of Arkansas, has overcome initial hesitation, his associates said, and is poised to challenge Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, a vulnerable Democrat.

Republicans said they are soliciting high-profile candidates to run in Senate races in Indiana and Wisconsin, states they had been prepared to write off just weeks ago. Tommy Thompson, the former governor of Wisconsin, is now considering challenging Senator Russ Feingold, the Democrat, aides said. Even in longer-shot states like New York, Republicans said they think the political climate gives them a chance to find a strong Senate candidate, though they have not done so yet.

“If you live in a district with no Republican candidate, run for office,” Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, wrote in a posting on RedState, a conservative blog.

Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst who follows Congressional races, said a report he will release Monday will count 58 Democratic House seats in play, up from 47 in December. The number of Republican seats in play has remained steady at 14 over the same period, he said. At the same time, Democrats expect more of their incumbents to retire, which could put additional seats at risk.

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The Texas GOP and others are encouraging people to run in previously uncontested state elections. Conservatives in the Tea Party movement clearly have the most intensity at this point in the election year.

They are challenging several incumbents who either did not oppose the TARP program or the stimulus. Since those votes the GOP has been pretty solid in opposing the evils of liberalism as espoused by the current Democrats. Whether they will still support the GOP if their candidates lose in this challenge is an open question, but I think they will be pragmatic.

What should be clear is that the Tea Party Movement at this point is driving the election and Republicans are just trying to hang on for the ride. Some, like Scott Brown are better than others.