Ralph Regula is an absolute relic in the House of Representatives. Now in his 18th term and approaching his 83rd birthday, he has begun to show some significant signs of rust lately, especially given his lackluster performances in his 2006 primary and general election campaigns, where he won only 58% of the vote against low-profile challengers in each race. It’s only natural then, that Regula, now in the House Minority, would be the subject of intense retirement speculation. The speculation is so intense, that Republican state Senator J. Kirk Schuring has put his name forward as the heir apparent in the event of Regula’s retirement. According to CQ Politics, Schuring has pledged only to run if Regula steps aside. Democrats, for their part, have been eyeing the Democratic-trending 16th District hungrily, and have recruited a strong challenger in state Sen. John Boccieri, an air force veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The real doozie, though, lies in the second quarter numbers:
John Boccieri (D): $155K raised; $145K cash-on-hand
J. Kirk Schuring (R): $136K raised; $130K CoH
Ralph Regula (R-inc.): $82K raised; $164K CoH
If Regula is at all serious about going for a 19th term, he might want to pick up the slack. It speaks volumes that Schuring is apparently being seen as the better investment opportunity by GOP donors.
By the end of 2Q of the year before an election, Boccieri has already doubled what Jeff Seemann reported to the FEC as having raised for the entire 2004 campaign.
John is a good man and will be VERY hard to beat. Iraq War veteran, lengthy career in public service, good looking, speaks from the heart, and he has no baggage.
I wish he’d have run for this seat in 04 or 06. He might have won, and if he’d have entered the race in 04, I wouldn’t have made an attempt. I ran because no Democratic candidate with any experience ever gave it a full effort.
Say what you will about my failures (and I’m sure you will) in ’04, but I walk away from it all knowing that my team and I woke up this district and the momentum is turning it Blue.
By the way, Ralph’s retiring. He hasn’t announced it yet, but he is. Kirk Schuring wouldn’t be raising money if not….GOP politics around here rally around Regula, and Kirk wouldn’t dare make the move without approval from the boss. Plus, I know a guy who knows a guy. Ralph’s retiring.