Via Senate 2008 Guru, here is a list of Democrats thinking of running for election or re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Notice the lack of female recruits.
* Alabama:
Agriculture and Industry Commissioner Ron Sparks (considering)
State Senator Vivian Figures (considering)
* Alaska: unknown
* Arkansas:
Senator Mark Pryor
* Colorado:
Congressman Mark Udall
* Delaware:
Senator Joe Biden
* Georgia: unknown
* Idaho:
Former Congressman Larry LaRocco
* Illinois:
Senator Richard Durbin
* Iowa:
Senator Tom Harkin
* Kansas: unknown
* Kentucky:
2003 Lt. Gov. nominee Charlie Owen (considering)
* Louisiana:
Senator Mary Landrieu
* Maine:
Congressman Tom Allen
* Massachusetts:
Senator John Kerry
* Michigan:
Senator Carl Levin
* Minnesota:
Commentator Al Franken
Attorney Mike Ciresi
State Representative John Lesch (considering)
* Mississippi: unknown
* Montana:
Senator Max Baucus
* Nebraska:
Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (considering)
Former Senator Bob Kerrey (considering)
* New Hampshire:
Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand
Activist Katrina Swett
Professor/former astronaut Jay Buckey (considering)
* New Jersey:
Senator Frank Lautenberg
* New Mexico: unknown
* North Carolina:
Congressman Brad Miller (considering)
* Oklahoma: unknown
* Oregon:
Activist Steve Novick
Businessman Ty Pettit
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (considering)
* Rhode Island:
Senator Jack Reed
* South Carolina: unknown
* South Dakota:
Senator Tim Johnson
* Tennessee: unknown
* Texas: unknown
* Virginia:
Former Governor Mark Warner (considering)
* West Virginia:
Senator Jay Rockefeller
* Wyoming: unknown
The only women listed are Vivian Figures in Alabama, who is probably much less electable than Ron Sparks, and Katrina Swett, who was in charge of Lieberman’s 2004 presidential campaign in New Hampshire.
We have twenty-one Republican seats to target and this is the best we can do?
I’d welcome any suggestions, especially in states that are still looking for strong challengers. One intriguing possibility is in Tennessee, where Tipper Gore could pose a stiff challenge to one-term incumbent and wannabe lumberjack, Lamar Alexander. Tipper’s public profile is most strongly associated with censorship.
“Yeah, I tell them to change the channel if they see some guy in a brown suit with a telephone number at the bottom of the screen asking for money.”
— Frank Zappa, Senate Hearing on “Porn Rock”, 1985, after being asked by Tipper Gore if there was anything on TV he didn’t allow his kids to watch.
Somehow I don’t see this being a big liability in Tennessee. I’d feel a whole lot better about a Tipper Gore candidacy than I did about Harold Ford Jr.’s.
What do you think about a possible Tipper Gore run? Any women you can bring to Chuck Schumer’s attention for any of these races?
I’m in Georgia and would love to see Cynthia McKinney run for the Senate. She was the first member of Congress to call for a 9/11 investigation long before any manifestation of courage in our ‘representatives.’ She also pushed for the Katrina investigation.
I know it’s fashionable to call her loony (ack – that hair, those clothes), but it’s always the misfits that move us forward. I’m sure Mr. Schumer is looking for a more conformist and submissive female. Aren’t we all?
McKinney could run as a third-party candidate, but she has absolutely zero chance of winning a state-wide race. And I really like Hank Johnson, from what I’ve seen of him. I think Cleland is our best bet in Georgia.
Chambliss is, by far, the Senator I would most like to see lose his seat in 2008. Unfortunately, Max Cleland has said he will not run for his old seat. Not a day goes by that I don’t hope Cleland reconsiders.
In Minnesota, Congresswoman Betty McCollum was considered a possibility – until she endorsed Mike Ciresi.
In Kansas, Governor Kathleen Sebelius would be a dream candidate, as her approval wallops Pat Roberts’ approval. But she has demonstrated no interest. (Maybe she’s holding out for the Veepstakes and might come around on a Senate bid later in the year?)
In New Mexico, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is widely expected to run for Governor when Bill Richardson moves on, and former state AG Patricia Madrid just took a new law firm gig that might keep her out of politics for a while.
In Texas, one of the several rumored possibilities is 2006 Senate candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky. Kay Bailey Hutchison beat her 62-36, but Hutchison is far more popular than John Cornyn. (Nevertheless, that was a 26-point gap and Cornyn has lots of cash-on-hand.)
Tipper for Senate in Tennessee would be very interesting – and it could gain steam quickly if she indicated interest, especially with the TN-Dems being quiet lately on the Senate challenger front since Harold Ford Jr. took the reins of the DLC. However, don’t expect anything on this front until Al makes a concrete announcement on Presidential plans, which could be as late as September or even October.
In both North Carolina and South Carolina, there is speculation including female candidates, with varying degrees of “concrete”-ness.
As for Alabama, yeah, Figures has laid very low and “Sparksmania” has been gaining steam. And in New Hampshire, there is the concern that Swett is a Liebercrat; meanwhile Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand really is a strong candidate capable of taking Sununu down – though the NH-Dem field would likely clear for former Governor Jeanne Shaheen if she ultimately decides to go for it again – polling has her beating Sununu soundly. Senator Mary Landrieu, however, while nominally quite vulnerable, is in not bad shape with no strong opponent in sight.
I perdsonally would like to see NM State Senator, Dede Feldman, run for Dominici’s seat.
In Texas, Barbara Ann Radnofsky will most likely be one of the Democratic Candidates running against Cornyn.
Boo,
I cannot abide Tipper, after the “evilness of rock music lyrics” campaign.
Sorry!