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April 12, 2009

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Sun Apr 12, 2009, 01:16 AM EDT

The midterm Republican primary is shaping up to be an interesting one for the Kokomo area – and its still more than a year off.

Three weeks ago, Hamilton County businessman Brose McVey announced his candidacy for Rep. Dan Burton’s congressional seat. A week later, Shelbyville’s Luke Messer, a partner in the Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller, said he, too, will challenge the 14-term congressman.

And there’s talk other Republicans might enter the race for the 5th Congressional District. Locally, it includes all of Miami and Tipton counties, and a portion of Howard County.

McVey ran against the late Julia Carson, a longtime Indianapolis congresswoman, in 2002. He lost 53 percent to 44 percent, despite raising $1.1 million. It wasn’t his first foray into politics.

Between 1985 and ’89, he worked as a legislative and press aide to then-Sen. Dan Quayle. And in 1991, he managed Sen. Dan Coats’ re-election campaign.

Messer has friends in high places, as well. After challenging and losing to Rep. Mike Pence in the 2000 primary, he became executive director of the state Republican Party. He also represented Shelby and Bartholomew counties in the Indiana House from 2003 to 2006.

Burton faced a stiff challenge in the 2008 primary in Dr. John McGoff. The year before, The Indianapolis Star reported Burton missed 19 House votes while playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. Burton said his participation in the tournament was a mistake, but that didn’t stop McGoff from exploiting the missed votes right up to Election Day.

And McGoff still could enter the 2010 contest.

Conventional wisdom holds that the more challengers Burton faces next May, the better his chances for victory. He’s the incumbent Republican in a predominately Republican district.

Still, Messer’s entry into the race suggests some well-connected party members believe Burton beatable.

This election is shaping up to be an interesting one, indeed.

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