Rather unexpectedly, here’s a big name set to enter the race against what has to be one of the 2010 cycle’s top GOP targets in the House: Allen West.
Term-limited West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel is expected to announce this afternoon that she’s running for the congressional seat of freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation.
Frankel, who’ll preside over her last city commission meeting today and whose last day as mayor is March 31, wouldn’t reveal her plans in a brief conversation this morning. But well-placed Democrats say they expect her to formally enter the District 22 race.
The DCCC has to regard this as a big score, as she’s one of the most prominent political figures on the Gold Coast. (Of course, that has some potential downside, compared with a fresh face; she’s been around long enough to have pissed a lot of people off over the years, after two terms as WPB mayor, a long stint in the state House, and even losing a particularly racially-charged primary against Alcee Hastings back in 1992 when FL-23 was created.)
Some Dude Patrick Murphy is already in the race for the Dems; while ex-Rep. Ron Klein hasn’t ruled out a rematch, his employment plans seem to indicate he’s moved on. An announcement this early is a surprise considering that this district will probably see massive reconfiguration in the redistricting process (especially if the Fair Districts initiative winds up staying in effect), but she’s probably confident she could win even in the currently D+1 configuration.
Can anyone attest to her local popularity at all?
Anyway, luckily the district is bound to become less Republican, so it’s very likely the war criminal is bounced from Congress in 2012.
If Florida Dems can’t defeat him next year, especially if FL-22 is reconfigured as a stronger Dem seat, then they really are worthless and weak.
And whatever the complaints are about Lois Frankel, at least she isn’t deranged like Allen West.
Even without a fair district, West would still be in trouble, he’s to extreme for a marginal. A fairly drawn FL-22 with a more Dem PVI would be almost impossible for him to win.
But we seriosuly need to stop under-estimating republicans who are “extreme” who are winning in more “moderate” districts.
Sometimes people win where they shouldn’t, and we need to fight each incumbent as if they are the incumbent who knows how to win as opposed to declaring their inappropriateness for this district.
What’s happening with that?
Apparently tried to impersonate Harry Reid at a 9/12 event. It looks like just another part of his weirdness.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/…
west should lose to anybody, since his district will be at least as democratic as bob dold’s
You know, I really disagree about everyone’s characterizations of West as a right-wing crazy.
He is very well spoken and, frankly, calm. When we throw around works like “crazy” and “insane” and “wackjob”, we have to remember the image that that conjures for most people. It certainly doesn’t conjure up West.
I do think some of his positions are out there and that he is off the mark for his district by a fair amount, but he certainly isn’t absolutely batshit insane. Even Anthony Weiner – a man who I agree with most of the time – comes off as more insane than West in his joke speeches.
Go Terriers! 🙂
don’t know if this is good news or not. I think she’ll win if she is the nominee, I see absolutely no way whatsoever that West can win in a D+8 but maybe a fresh face would be better. She seems at least mildly unpopular and risky choice. She tried to get of term limits so she could stay in office and barely got a few thousand signatures. Does not sound very popular. Like I said I have no doubt she’ll win but I have no doubt any dem would win, and maybe a fresher face could do so with a better margin. Are there any other potential candidates out there?