Many House candidates battling the urge to repeat

Just one month after the 2008 elections, House candidates all over the country are fighting — and in some cases, succumbing to — the urge to try again.

Candidates in some top races have already stated their intention to give it another go in 23 months, while many others are keeping their options open.

{mosads}In California, two Democrats running much closer than expected in races that were not targeted by the national party have already stated they will run again in 2010.

In the Sacramento area, physician Bill Durston will try to build on two previous campaigns against Rep. Dan Lungren (R), after surprisingly holding the incumbent below 50 percent in the most recent race.

In Southern California, Corona-Norco school board member Bill Hedrick will run again after falling just four points shy of upsetting Rep. Ken Calvert (R). Hedrick acknowledged defeat late last week, but at the same time vowed to run again in two years.

Durston raised more than $550,000 for his campaign, but Hedrick pulled in about $150,000 through mid-October, meaning other Democrats might see an opening in a race that could be a top target in 2010.

While few have jumped back in so quickly, more than a dozen others have taken steps to make sure people know they are keeping their options open.

In Missouri, Democratic state Rep. Judy Baker is keeping her campaign at the ready for another potential bid against Rep.-elect Blaine Luetkemeyer (R).

“I’ve boxed up the campaign in a way that it can be put together overnight,” said Baker, who is currently working on Gov.-elect Jay Nixon’s (D) transition team.

She, like many candidates, will have to judge whether 2010 presents a better opportunity than 2008, which was considered a strong Democratic year with a great coattails candidate in President-elect Barack Obama.

There is also the conventional wisdom that a president’s party loses seats in Congress in off-year elections.

But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) did well in Missouri, winning the swing state, and Baker stressed that there were “many McCain-Baker voters” in her district.

She added that the near-miss loss “absolutely” makes it more tempting to try again. Baker came up just 2.5 points shy in a district that voted 59 percent for President Bush in 2004.

Another top candidate for a rematch is Republican Maryland state Sen. Andy Harris, who upended centrist Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R) in a primary, only to fall to Democrat Frank Kratovil by a less than 1 percent in November.

Harris’s former spokesman, Chris Meekins, denied a report that Harris is already telling local Republicans that he will run again, but it’s clear that it’s a distinct possibility.

“Andy hasn’t made a decision one way or another,” Meekins said, though he was quick to note that Kratovil’s first votes are likely to be out of step with his conservative district.

In another very conservative district held by a Democrat, Republican businessman Dan Meuser is thought to be a strong potential candidate for 2010 against Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.).

{mospagebreak}Meuser ran in the GOP primary earlier this year, losing an expensive and nasty battle to businessman Chris Hackett. Hackett went on to fall by 12 points in a top-targeted race.

Meuser said Monday that he is focusing on business, community and political projects.

“I believe effective public service can make a big difference to an area, and we in northeastern Pennsylvania want the best for our area,” Meuser said. “Regarding any future runs for office, I am keeping involved and keeping all my options open.”

{mosads}Other top candidates for rematches include a pair of outgoing single-termers in Reps. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), as well as Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), who has asked for a recount of his 745-vote loss to Rep.-elect Tom Perriello (D). All lost by 2 percent or less.

New Jersey GOPer Chris Myers is thinking rematch with Rep.-elect John Adler (D) and the GOP will try to woo Republican Richard Hanna, who unexpectedly came within two points of knocking off Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.).

Democrats who appear to be strong candidates to try again include Joan Fitz-Gerald, who lost in a tough three-candidate primary to Rep.-elect Jared Polis (D-Colo.), and Linda Ketner, who held Rep. Henry Brown Jr. (R-S.C.) to 52 percent and might nudge the 72-year-old into retirement.

Ketner has started a nonprofit, which is seen as a precursor to another campaign.

Other candidates who had disappointing showings in top races in 2008 are nonetheless looking at running again, including Republican William Russell, who lost to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) by 16 points; former GOP aide John Stone, who fell to Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) by 32 points; and Democrat Sam Bennett, who lost to Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) by 18 points.