Washington Rep. (R) Nethercutt to run for Sen. Patty Murray's job

[Judi Lynn]

Looked in google for more info., found an interesting list of open seats and the contenders:

Hot Political News
*FL-If Sen. Bob Graham (D) doesn’t run for re-election, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas (D) and Rep. Peter Deutsch (D) are interested. Rep. Challengers include: Rep. Mark Foley (R) or former Rep. Bill McCollum (R).
*IL-Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R) is not running for re-election. Possible candidates: former Gov. Jim Edgar (R), Andrew McKenna, Jr. (R), Jack Ryan (R), former AG Jim Ryan (R), Comp. Dan Hynes (D), St Sen. Barack Obama (D), Blair Hull (D), Jerry Chico (D).
*MO-The Gephardt seat candidates: St. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D), St. Steve Stoll (D), St. Louis Cty Clerk Mariano Favazza (D), former State Rep. Joan Barry (D).
*NC-Former Charlotte City Council member Mike Castano (R) challenging Mayor Pat McCrory (R) in a Rep. Primary.
*WA-Rep. George Nethercutt (R) will challenge Sen. Patty Murray (D) next year. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R) bowed out.
*MI-Nick Smith (R) 7th CD will not seek re-election.
*WA- Rep Jennifer Dunn (R) may challenge incumbent Senator Patty Murray (D).
*AZ – Rep Jeff Flake (R) considering a primary against incum. Sen. John McCain (R).
*GA – Freshman Rep. Max Burns (R) faces possible Democratic Primary challenges from St. Sen. Keith Heard (D), former St. Sen Doug Haines (D) and Athens Clarke County Comm. John Barrow (D).
*OR –Rep. Darlene Hooley (D) will be challenged for the third time by Brian Boquist (R) and he might face a primary challenge from St. Rep Jeffrey Kropf (R).
*CA – Rep. Grace Napolitano (D) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R) will run again, altering their term limit pledges.
*NC – Rep. Richard Burr (R) will run against incumbent Sen. John Edwards (D). If Edwards doesn’t run, Erskine Bowles (D) may run for the seat.
* IL – Chiago Mayor Richard Daley (D) won a 5th term with 79% of the vote.
* NY – NY Liberty Party will disband. In 2002, they lost their position on the ballot
*MS – Former RNC Chair Haley Barbour (R) announced his candidacy for Governor against incumbent Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D).
*GA – Sen. Zell Miller (D) will not seek re-election in 2004. Rep. Johnny Isaksen (R) is the first candidate to declare for the open seat. Former Rep Bob Barr (R) formed an exploratory committee.
*KY – Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R) has announced he is running for KY Governor. He joins St. Rep Steve Nunn (R) and Speaker of the House Jody Richards (D) as Gubernatorial candidates.
* TX - Rep Larry Combest (R) will resign from Congress in May, 2003. A special election can be held as early as July 6th, 2003.

http://politicalresources.com/Hot-News.htm

Here's the article I saw earlier on Nethercutt:

(snip) Washington Congressman May Run for Senate Back


Rep. George Nethercutt, who upset then-U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley in 1994, is expected to take on Washington state's senior senator in 2004.

Nethercutt, 58, a favorite of the White House, was expected to announce on Wednesday his intention to challenge Sen. Patty Murray, a rising Democratic power in the Senate.

Murray is running for a third six-year term. Until now, she has drawn no opposition from either party. President Bush's original favorite for the GOP nomination, Rep. Jennifer Dunn, declined to run, and Nethercutt became the backup choice.

Republican Party officials speaking on condition of anonymity, said Nethercutt would making a "soft announcement," rather than a full-blown campaign kickoff, signaling intentions by announcing he will transfer campaign money from a House account to an exploratory committee for a Senate campaign. (snip/...)

http://www.620ktar.com/news/article.aspx?article_id=188457&cc=012345

Nethercutt should leave Patty Murray alone. She's a terrific senator.