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Congressional incumbents on shaky ground in '08

Activists target lawmakers in Congress who cooperated with the opposition party.

from the March 3, 2008 edition

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Mr. Toomey says the Club for Growth has not decided whether to take on other GOP incumbents in 2008. Rep. Walter Jones (R) of North Carolina, the other Republican who voted with Democrats on a timetable to end the war in Iraq, also faces a primary challenge on May 6 from county commissioner Joe McLaughlin.

"Walter used to have a strongly conservative record on economic policy; unfortunately, his voting record has taken a turn for the worse," says Toomey.

At the same time, labor unions and netroot activists on the left are mulling over whether to target other so-called Bush Democrats, after defeating Representative Wynn in the Feb. 12 Maryland primary.

"Primary challenges are a wake-up call to Democrats that the people they work for expect results," says Ilyse Hogue, communications director for MoveOn.org Political Action, which backed community activist Donna Edwards in her challenge to Wynn.

Last December, the net-based group surveyed its members and found that 78 percent favored challenging Democrat incumbents "who had not kept promises" in 2008 primary contests. "Any elected representative not in Washington fighting for healthcare and the environment and to end the war will be fair game," Ms. Hogue says.

But she says that activists are engaged in a long-term campaign to make Democrats more accountable to ordinary Americans and the issues they care about. "We believe this is an effort that is really healthy for the Democratic Party ... and can only make for a more enthusiastic and engaged base in future elections," she adds.

The Service Employees International Union, which also opposed Wynn, plans "much more activity of our members in holding elected officials accountable," says Anna Burger, SEIU vice president.

Democracy for America, a Web-based group that also backed Ms. Edwards, is now targeting Rep. Leonard Boswell (D) of Iowa in the June 3 primary.

But the key primary races this week are in Texas and Ohio. In Texas, Representative Paul raised $32.9 million in his presidential run, but since January he has faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden in the GOP primary.

"We have a great deal of admiration for him as a man, but he just doesn't vote with his party," said Mr. Peden, in a phone interview. "It's time for Republicans to be Republicans again."

While conservative talk-radio hosts cited private polls last month putting Paul 11 points behind the challenger, the first public poll by Public Policy Polling in Raleigh, N.C., released Feb. 28 shows Paul leading Peden, 63 to 30.

In Ohio, Representative Kucinich abandoned his presidential campaign in January to campaign to save his seat. A Feb. 27 poll, also by Public Policy Polling, shows Kucinich likely to win his first serious primary challenge in a race against four Democratic rivals on March 4. "It looks like Dennis Kucinich made a prudent choice ... when he decided to go home and campaign for reelection right before the South Carolina primary," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, in a statement.

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