Challengers for Cantwell
The Seattle Times reported yesterday that Maria Cantwell is considered one of the White House's top targets for 2006.
Of course, no challenger has yet emerged for Cantwell. Lots of names are floating around - including Chris Vance, current GOP state chair, Rick White, who beat Cantwell in 1994 but then lost to Jay Inslee in 1998, and Michael McGavick, who is currently CEO of Safeco.
But none of them are going to run if Dino Rossi - and this is a very big if - decides to run. A Rossi campaign against Cantwell has the strongest chance of beating her, but it leaves the GOP without a formidable opponent to Gregoire's reelection in 2008.
The White House is probably more interested in having another GOP senator in D.C. then it is interested in capturing the Washington gubernatorial mansion. But for the state party, and especially GOP allied state interest groups, it is the other way around. The BIAW, AWB, and others would simply love to knock Gregoire out in 2008.
We won't know who Cantwell's challenger is until the GOP's election challenge is tossed out (which it very likely will be). Then Dino will have to decide if he wants to run for the U.S. Senate or not. If he chooses to step aside, there is no clear front runner.
The White House, of course, (as the Times reported) has zero interest in a messy primary (if there even is one). So who'll step aside? If the Republicans end up nominating their candidate at a convention, who will they go for?
No matter who Cantwell faces, she needs to have plenty of money on hand in order to beat off a challenge:
Of course, no challenger has yet emerged for Cantwell. Lots of names are floating around - including Chris Vance, current GOP state chair, Rick White, who beat Cantwell in 1994 but then lost to Jay Inslee in 1998, and Michael McGavick, who is currently CEO of Safeco.
But none of them are going to run if Dino Rossi - and this is a very big if - decides to run. A Rossi campaign against Cantwell has the strongest chance of beating her, but it leaves the GOP without a formidable opponent to Gregoire's reelection in 2008.
The White House is probably more interested in having another GOP senator in D.C. then it is interested in capturing the Washington gubernatorial mansion. But for the state party, and especially GOP allied state interest groups, it is the other way around. The BIAW, AWB, and others would simply love to knock Gregoire out in 2008.
We won't know who Cantwell's challenger is until the GOP's election challenge is tossed out (which it very likely will be). Then Dino will have to decide if he wants to run for the U.S. Senate or not. If he chooses to step aside, there is no clear front runner.
The White House, of course, (as the Times reported) has zero interest in a messy primary (if there even is one). So who'll step aside? If the Republicans end up nominating their candidate at a convention, who will they go for?
No matter who Cantwell faces, she needs to have plenty of money on hand in order to beat off a challenge:
Cantwell, who defeated incumbent Gorton by a narrow margin in 2000, has already raised a significant amount of money for next year's race.We'll continue to cover and support Cantwell's reelection campaign and analyze the threat she faces from the GOP as it materializes.
She raised $1,937,000 in the first quarter of 2005, according to the FEC report released Friday, and has $1,852,000 cash on hand.
