Newly-elected GOP Rep. Steve Scalise won't get a free pass this fall:
"Pro-life, pro-gun, fiscally conservative" Democrat Jim Harlan announced his candidacy for Congress on YouTube on Independence Day, bringing a self-funding challenger to recently elected Republican Rep. Steve Scalise this fall.
Harlan, who was a registered independent until February, attended the Democratic Convention earlier this year for the district's special election in March and decided to get involved.
"He didn't think [Scalise] would do a good job in Congress, and decided he might as well do it by himself," campaign manager Joel Coon said. "The more he saw of the [campaign] process, the more he thought about it."
Harlan, a moneyed businessman, is bringing an eyebrow-raising amount of his own resources to the race:
Harlan made his money, according to Coon, building up factories across the country and internationally for a wide variety of technologies and businesses. He will report more than $500,000 to the Federal Elections Commission later this month, which is more than what incumbent Scalise reported in the first quarter.
The $500,000 is mostly Harlan's personal wealth, Coon said, "but he hasn't begun to raise the money he can."
Louisiana's 1st CD is one of the most Republican districts in the nation. With a PVI of R+18.5, it supported Bush by a 71-28 margin in 2004 and Scalise crushed Democrat Gilda Reed by 75-22.5 in the May 3rd special election to fill the open seat. While it goes without saying that Harlan would be an extreme long shot, his candidacy will at least keep Scalise's money in the 1st District and out of the NRCC's coffers.
This is pretty remarkable. Despite many prognosticators writing the obituary for the Louisiana Democratic Party after Hurricane Katrina wrought major damage on New Orleans in 2005, Democrats now have three of state's seven House seats, a top-tier challenger in the 4th District, a potentially serious challenge in the 7th District, and still might score a good challenger in the 5th District. With Jim Harlan running against Scalise, Democrats are making a fight of it in every corner of Louisiana this year.
On the web:
Jim Harlan for Congress |
