A big part of the Rebuild platform is running everywhere and not giving any Democrat a free pass. That should start in the 2010 races for the Senate -- and it needs to start now. Look how many previously popular GOP incumbents were taken out in 2006 and 2008 because popular Democrats decided to stake their careers on taking them out.
I've put together this prelimary list of potential challengers to all Democrat incumbents up in 2010. Many of these are simply readouts of statewide officeholders, and a couple of others come from this insightful Free Republic thread (go John Elway!). But we should not limit ourselves to this list. Who are the rising, outside-the-box leaders in the state legislatures or the private sector who could be enticed to take on the total Democratic stranglehold on government in the midst a deep, deep recession (wink, wink)? I want to hear some in the comments.
Among the most promising and potentially gettable recruits on this list are Elway (Colorado), Linda Lingle (Hawaii), John Hoeven (North Dakota), and Rob McKenna (Washington).
Arkansas - Blanche Lincoln
- Former Gov. Mike Huckabee - Run Huck Run! I really wish he would recognize that he has a hard ceiling for any POTUS primary run, but could be elected in a cakewalk back home. The Dems have no shortage of self-sacrificing figures like Mark Warner who could have gone higher but instead performed a valuable service to their party by limiting their longshot national ambitions, keeping themselves in the game, and growing the party.
- Former Rep. Asa Hutchinson
- Rep. John Boozman
- Note: Despite this being a McCain +20 state, there are NO Republican statewide elected officials and only 1 out of 4 GOP representatives. Arkansas is probably ripe for a some sort of organized project akin to Karl Rove's turning Texas red in the '80s and '90s and Tim Gill et al. turning Colorado blue in the 2000s.
California - Barbara Boxer
- Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (declared)
- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Rep. David Dreier
- Rep. Devin Nunes
- Rep. Mary Bono Mack
Colorado - Ken Salazar
- John Elway
- Former Gov. Bill Owens
- Attorney General John Suthers
- Rep.-elect Mike Coffman - former Secretary of State just elected to replace Tancredo, so it's unlikely he'd make a race in 2010, but he should be noted as a potential future statewide candidate
Connecticut - Chris Dodd (potential retirement)
- Gov. Jodi Rell
- Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele
- Rep. Chris Shays - defeated for re-election and would clearly not be a perfect Republican vote, but still has the best track record of surviving in Connecticut
- Former Rep. Rob Simmons
Delaware - Biden vacancy
- Auditor General Tom Wagner
- All ears for any potentially talented State Reps or Senators. We need to start somewhere.
Hawaii - Daniel Inouye
- Gov. Linda Lingle - term-limited in 2010
Illinois - Obama vacancy
- Rep. Peter Roskam - safely re-elected 58-42% in a close seat against the Obama tide; ran a great campaign in 2006
- Rep. John Shimkus
- Rep. Mark Kirk - hung tough in a liberal seat against an Obama-esque Dem nominee
- Mike Ditka
Indiana - Evan Bayh
- Rep. Mike Pence
- Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman
- Sectetary of State Todd Rokita
- State Treasurer Richard Mourdock
- State Auditor Tim Berry
Maryland - Barbara Mikulski
- Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (if not elected RNC Chairman)
- Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich
- Because of its proximity to DC, there may be somebody of national prominence who lives in Maryland, though they would have to start making a name for themselves statewide now
Nevada - Harry Reid
- Former Gov. Kenny Guinn
- Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki
- Rep. Dean Heller
New York - Chuck Schumer and potential Clinton vacancy
- Rudy Giuliani
- It's pretty slim pickings to find a good statewide figure or a non-parochial GOP Congressman, so we may be left looking to business or sports for other options
North Dakota - Byron Dorgan
- Gov. John Hoeven - declined to run in 2008 because of re-election bid, but wouldn't be up in 2010 and would be the ideal GOP statewide nominee
- Secretary of State Al Jaeger
- Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem
- State Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem (Wayne's brother)
- State Tax Commissioner Cory Fong
Oregon - Ron Wyden
- Sen. Gordon Smith
- Rep. Greg Walden
- Former Gov. candidate Kevin Mannix
Washington - Patty Murray
- Dino Rossi
- Attorney General Rob McKenna
- 2006 Sen. nominee Mike McGavick
Wisconsin - Russ Feingold
