IN THE NEWS

GOP, Democratic Leaders Stump For Their Candidates

by Susan Davis
CongressDaily

October 13, 2004

With Election Day less than three weeks away, House GOP and Democratic leaders are canvassing the country for their candidates and incumbents. While Republicans are working to maintain or grow their majority, Democrats are waging a long-shot bid to take back the House, or at least narrow the GOP's current 227-205 majority.

A spokesman for Majority Leader DeLay declined to provide his pre-election schedule, noting a long-standing policy not to disclose DeLay's political travels. But DeLay said last week his priorities are twofold.

"My re-election is number one, and number two is electing members in the House," he said. "I'm doing some national travel, I'm doing some in Texas, and I'm doing some in my own district."

Speaker Hastert and Minority Leader Pelosi will be on the road for most of the next three weeks. "I'll probably be, by the time this election cycle is over, in over 200 districts," Hastert said last week -- including repeat trips, an aide noted.

Hastert is in his district this week but will barnstorm through at least eight states the week of Oct. 25 for 16 Republicans. In New York, Hastert will stump for state Sen. Randy Kuhl, who is running to replace retiring GOP Rep. Amo Houghton, Hempstead Village Mayor James Garner, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, and former Transportation Department official Bill Manger, who is challenging first-term Democratic Rep. Timothy Bishop.

Hastert will also travel to Maine, Virginia, Missouri, Washington, Texas and North Dakota.

Pelosi will travel to at least a dozen states in the next three weeks to campaign for more than 12 Democrats, as well as to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Pelosi will stump for Democrats in some of the most competitive races this cycle, including attorney John Barrow who faces Rep. Max Burns, R-Ga., Coconino County Supervisor Paul Babbitt, who faces Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., and attorney Lois Murphy, who faces Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa.

Minority Whip Hoyer, who has traveled to 21 states and 34 districts this cycle, will focus most of his efforts on four competitive House races in Pennsylvania, stumping for Democratic candidates state Sen. Allyson Schwartz, Murphy, real estate investment adviser Joe Driscoll and attorney Virginia (Ginny) Schrader.

Hoyer will also travel to Georgia, Kentucky and New York.

Majority Whip Blunt, who has traveled to 50 districts this election cycle, will campaign for at least seven GOP candidates and three incumbents. Blunt will travel to Texas for GOP Rep. John Carter and former federal prosecutor Michael McCaul. Blunt will also campaign for candidates in Pennsylvania, Washington and New York.

Additionally, Chief Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., will spend the most of his time in the Northeast, with jaunts to Southern states including Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.

Cantor will campaign with some of the GOP's most vulnerable members, including Burns in Georgia and Reps. Rob Simmons of Connecticut, Philip Crane of Illinois and Pete Sessions and Randy Neugebauer of Texas. Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio will campaign for GOP candidates in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Kansas. Like Cantor, Pryce will also campaign for Simmons, Burns and Crane.

###