Republicans appear to have another repeat candidate in 2010, as former Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) has filed to reclaim the seat he lost in November.
Goode filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) - a move that allows him to raise money for the race - but he has not publicly said what his 2010 plans are. Regardless, the race is sure to be a top GOP target.
Former Reps. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) have also filed to run for the seats they lost in 2008. While Chabot is all-in, Sali has not officially stated whether he will follow through with the campaign.
As the article says, filing a statement of candidacy may just be a keeping-the-door-open move. But Goode seems to have at least one foot through the portcullis. Last month, he was seen staging absurd events where he was handing out giant checks to institutions which received earmarks in the most recent omnibus spending bill, even though he's of course no longer in Congress and didn't vote on the legislation which disburses this money!
So this makes me feel there are better-than-even odds that Goode will pull the trigger on a rematch. And personally, I think Perriello's better off going up against a retread rather than a fresh face.
