Several folks still eyeing 3rd District congressional race

With the Republican primary less than a year away, the names of possible contenders to challenge 10-year Democratic incumbent Dennis Moore for the 3rd District congressional seat are numerous.

So far, only one is for sure: former State Rep. Patricia Lightner, R-Olathe, who lived in Overland Park when she served in Topeka from 1998 to 2004. She filed with the Federal Election Commission last August to seek the Republican candidacy to go against Moore.

She considers herself the front-runner.

“At this point, I’m the primary candidate,” she said. “I’m the one, I believe, that has the most qualification, the most experience.”

If she is the only one to file, the 2010 election will be Nov. 2.

But that’s unlikely to happen and voters should expect a primary election on Aug. 3, said State Sen. Jeff Colyer, R-Overland Park. Colyer, who said he is not a candidate, faced Adam Taff in the Republican primary for the seat in 2002 and lost by 200 votes. Taff went on to lose to Moore in the general election.

“I’ll never say never, but at this point I’m not actively a candidate, so don’t even put me in the candidate category,” Colyer said. “Personally I think there will be another couple of twists before this story is filled.”

Other Republican names rumored to be considering entering the race are former State Sen. Nick Jordan, Overland Park, who lost to Moore in 2008; State Rep. Pat Colloton, R-Leawood; and State Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee.

Jordan said he is not a candidate.

“We (considered it) at one time,” he said. “But we’ve decided to kind of lay back at this time. Maybe if there were extraordinary circumstances we would consider it, but for now, we’re not running.

“I think it’s awful fluid right now and we’ll just have to see how things come together.”

Colloton said she has been considering entering the race since this past spring and will make her decision sometime this month.

“I’ve been visiting with a variety of people about the issue, but I have not formed an exploratory committee or raised any money,” she said. “I think we need a representative who truly reflects our interests and priorities here in the 3rd Congressional District. … (Moore’s) not truly representing us now.

“I think his hands seem to be bound to the Democratic leadership in Congress that is moving more and more to the extreme left. That puts him into a position where he can’t vote and still maintain his position within his own party, and we want a representative who can vote the way the issues dictate for us.”

With Jordan out of the race, Yoder, should he decide to run, likely would be the front-runner in the primary, said former State Sen. Bob Vancrum, now an Overland Park attorney and political observer.

Yoder said he hopes to make a final decision in the next two weeks on whether to run.

“I’ve talked to a lot of independent voters, even conservative Democrats who are dissatisfied with what is happening in Washington,” Yoder said. “Most people believe that government needs to live within its means and as Washington goes far outside of that and expands its deficit spending, I think a lot of people are really nervous about what that means to the future.”

Yoder said he has been exploring the possibility of running the past couple of months.

“I think the timing is right for a Republican candidate to do very well and we’re just trying to decide if this is the right race for us to be in and the right time,” he said. “It’s something that would be a tremendous honor and privilege to serve in that capacity, but I’m also proud of the work we’re doing in Topeka and I really enjoy that responsibility and I don’t want to shortchange those obligations.”

Which is a concern for Vancrum.

“I have mixed emotions about that,” Vancrum said. “I would like to see Kevin advance, but doggone it, the chair of appropriations is pretty critical to this county, too, especially at this time.”

Yoder said others have told him the same thing.

“I’ve heard that from a number of folks and I’m certainly flattered by that comment,” he said. “It’s a significant factor (in my decision). We’re facing a challenge in the budget situation in Topeka and I want to make sure I can meet all of the obligations that I’ve already made.

“I think one of the keys is that a nominee from the Republican Party needs to unify the party. Dennis Moore has taken advantage of our differences in our party and I think if we unify around our similarities, whichever candidate we put forward will do very well.”

Vancrum said a Republican primary benefits Moore in the general election.

“Dennis has got a fairly good war chest that he’s only got to devote to one race, and obviously the national (Democratic) Party is going to help him anyway they can.

“But the (Republican) winner here is going to be in a very deep hole by the time they survive the primary. I would hope that people, if they want a Republican victory, will figure out a way to get behind one candidate, but I just don’t see it happening at this point.”

The consensus is that Moore’s voting record on cap and trade, his continued co-sponsorship of card check, and his party support for the bailout and stimulus packages will be difficult for him to defend in this Republican-laden district.

“I think Dennis is beatable probably more than before,” Vancrum said. “He’s taken some votes that probably are not very popular in this district. I think probably his votes on the stimulus will come back and haunt him here, too, because I think most people feel we didn’t get as much out of that as perhaps some other areas did.”

Jordan said Moore’s votes prove he is more a liberal than a moderate.

“He’s swung to the left, and we were saying that last year, that’s what’s amazing,” Jordan said. “I think (people) are finding out this year that he’s different: voting for cap and trade, card check; he has publicly said he would support a public option on health insurance. He’s voted for the bailouts. He’s just going along with what (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and leadership say they want to do.

“He is not really, I think, in sync with the 3rd Congressional District, and I think there’s a good chance to see a Republican in Washington (after the next election).”

Colyer said the current political and economic atmosphere makes Moore vulnerable and added the candidate who raises the most money will have the edge.

“A lot of this is a resource issue,” he said. “The issues are clearly the same way, but frequently, almost in every case, the Republican has been outspent two-to-one, three-to-one, and to get your message out, you have to raise a lot of money and have a pretty good organization.”

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