Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta (R) has filed to run against Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. CQ has more:
Guinta recently announced he would not seek re-election as mayor and was mulling a run for federal office in 2010. But Guinta has not publicly announced whether he will run for the open Senate seat or for the 1st Congressional District seat.
Guinta’s advisor, Mike Biundo, stressed Friday that the mayor has yet to make an official announcement, adding that one is expected in the coming week.
Guinta is a pretty good grab for the GOP, but as the folks at Blue Hampshire argue, he’s a pretty rabidly right-wing dude who may find his own mouth to be his undoing once he spends some time on the stump. An NRCC-sponsored poll found CSP leading Guinta by only 43-34, but who knows what kind of sampling skullduggery their pollsters were engaging in order to make the race more enticing for their leading recruit.
In the meantime, though, CSP’s sluggish fundraising (only $111K raised in the first quarter of 2009) will certainly keep this one interesting.
Hopefully she can pick up the pace.
Do we have anyone on tap in the other NH race?
If she’s ahead by nine points in an NRCC poll. This is not taking into account that John Stephen will probably also be running again. Carol Shea-Porter seems to fit the district nicely, even though its about as tough a hold as they come for New England districts; Manchester is still pretty conservative with a lot of Reagan Democrats too.But she shocked me in 2006 by beating Jeb Bradley who I never thought would lose, even to that State Minority leader who she upset. Then she expanded her margin in 2008 across the board. She seems to be establishing a firm hold on it but state Republicans just aren’t willing to cede it.
for her and Hodes.
July 2008: Down 40%-46%
September 2008: Down 42%-45%
November 2008: Up 44-41%
All throughout, dangerous numbers, but she prevailed by 6% in the final results.
This seat should be safe absent a GOP wave.
Corporations(or their employees who do contribute) aren’t exactly lining up to donate to her I bet .. like say the banksters