Kucinich says he’s getting offers to run elsewhere if he loses his Ohio seat to redistricting

[The Northerner]

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich said on Monday he may run for a House seat in another state if he loses his Ohio seat to redistricting next year.

The well-known liberal who has run for president twice said people across the country have been asking him to run in their states. He said he’s nowhere near making a decision.

“If I am forced to move, then I certainly am going to consider moving,” the eight-term congressman said in a telephone interview. “Obviously, I am only going to go where I am wanted.”

He traveled recently to Washington state, which will add a new congressional seat, and plans another trip there later this month. Those stops have helped to fan speculation about a possible move.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kucinich-says-hes-getting-offers-to-run-elsewhere-if-he-loses-his-ohio-seat-to-redistricting/2011/05/09/AFnupjbG_story.html

[diabeticman]

1. It'd be a shame...

if Dennis has to run elsewhere. Ohio needs this good man.

[cali]

2. forced to move? redistricting will not force him to move.

I'm just not big on carpetbaggers. It's not like Kucinich needs to be in Congress to do something for the public good.

[LeftinOH]

3. He's my rep, and his local office is a few blocks from my house. I may have to

pay a friendly visit to ask him to stay and fight.

[elocs]

4. Carpetbagging is carpetbagging, no matter which party does it.

We'd be bitching like crazy if it were a well known Republican who was going to do this.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Personally I think the residents of a newly created district have

every right to seek out a candidate they like and ask them to relocate. In 'carpetbagging' the constituents do not ask for the politician to come there to run, when voters ask, that is call democracy, they get to pick their candidate. A brand new district.
I don't see the problem at all. Of course, the State Party might have someone they want to impose on the people, their own selected candidate. To that I say, so what? They can run a primary, correct?

[sufrommich]

7. Of course, nowhere does Kucinich mention how many

constituents are asking him to come to their area, thousands? a few? The voters do have the right to decide who represents them, I'm highly doubtful it will be someone who professes to wanting to keep his job in Washington. Local politics is not the same animal as national politics.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Local politics is not the same? Wow! I guess you being in MI

and the other poster cranking about Dennis from WI must know plenty about the regional and local politics in the Pacific Norhtwest!
Just ironic. Local advice from thousands of miles away! Michigan knows Washington, but Dennis does not. Got it.

[sufrommich]

10. I'm not thinking about running for congress in Washington. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

11. No but you are proposing what you think the local politics are

in a place you do not live. You are telling me that local politics is really different, yet those who are kvetching about the very idea of others talking to Dennis are not locals. You are not a resident of this region, much less of the new districts in Washington. This is not really about the Midwest, nor about what moderates might want to see happen. This is about democracy, as practiced by the voters who live there.
Your objections to that which other Democrats wish to do is noted. You should send them a letter expressing your deep displeasure with them.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. So to you, Bobby Kenedy was a 'carpetbagger' ?

He moved to NY to run for Senate. Tell us how horrible Bobby was.

[sufrommich]

5. I don't get why he feels he has to leave Ohio, surely there

are blue sections that he could run in.

[starroute]

12. My son is in Olympia, WA, which is likely to get the new district there

I sent him a link a few days ago to an article on a potential Kucinich candidacy there and he was thrilled.

The situation in Washington is one to keep an eye on, by the way. Olympia is currently split down the middle, with the side where my kids live attached to an otherwise heavily rural Congressional district that last fall swapped its Blue Dog Democrat for a Tea Party Republican.

The redistricting is still in the process of being worked out, but articles I've seen suggest that whatever the exact details, Olympia is likely to be the heart of a new district that would be seriously progressive.

http://www.redistricting.wa.gov/

In early 2011, a new commission was appointed. Majority and minority leaders in the Legislature selected two Republicans and two Democrats to serve as voting members. The four voting commissioners then selected a non-voting chairman. This bipartisan approach ensures that neither party obtains an unfair advantage in the way redistricting is accomplished.

The plan — when developed — establishes the new boundaries for the 2012 elections.

While the commission has significant autonomy in developing a plan, they follow established legal standards. The guiding principles for creating a redistricting plan include:

• each district shall have a population, excluding non-resident military personnel, as nearly equal as practicable to the population of any other district;

• district lines should be drawn to coincide with local political subdivisions (such as city and county lines) and communities of interest;

• districts should be convenient, contiguous (share a common land border or transportation route) compact;

• 49 legislative and 10 congressional districts must be drawn based on state law and federal apportionment totals;

• plans should be drawn to provide fair and effective representation and encourage electoral competition;

• plans shall not be drawn to purposely favor or discriminate against any political party or group.

[frebrd]

13. I would be delighted to see DK run here in WA.... eom

:applause: