Young At Heart
For the second day in a row, Dems have snagged a top-tier recruit against a once-safe GOPer. This a.m., the St. Petersburg Times reports state Sen. Charlie Justice (D) will challenge Rep. Bill Young (R-FL 10) in a CD that gave Pres. Obama 52% in '08.
Yesterday, ex-LG John Carney (D) jumped into a race against Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), and his candidacy is bouyed by the fact Obama took 62% there.
Also complicating factors for both GOPers is that they turned in rather lackluster fundraising numbers for the 1stQ. Castle raised $74K, while Young raised just $7K. That undoubtedly was a further enticement for both Dems.
GOPers will argue that both Dems entered the races hoping that Castle and Young retire; indeed, there are rumors surrounding both that they may leave. Young was even forced to deny them earlier this month, but his lackluster fundraising may bring them back up. Of course, similar rumors popped up after he raised just $16K in the 1stQ in '07, but he went on to run for re-election and rout his opponent in the process.
This year, though, Dems have recruited Justice, a top-tier recruit, and Young may not enjoy the same result. Like Castle, Young is an established figure in the CD and will provide a tough target for Justice. But both races will be very competitive.
(TIM SAHD)
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