2010 Senate Recruitment Project

In continuing what can you do NOW and planning for the future, first read here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/rebuilding-conservative-movement-what.html and then follow below.

Big hat tip to Patrick Ruffini http://www.thenextright.com/patrick-ruffini/2010-senate-recruitment-project

A big part of the Rebuild platform is running everywhere and not giving any Democrat a free pass. That should start in the 2010 races for the Senate -- and it needs to start now. Look how many previously popular GOP incumbents were taken out in 2006 and 2008 because popular Democrats decided to stake their careers on taking them out.
I've put together this prelimary list of potential challengers to all Democrat incumbents up in 2010. Many of these are simply readouts of statewide officeholders, and a couple of others come from this insightful Free Republic thread (go John Elway!). But we should not limit ourselves to this list. Who are the rising, outside-the-box leaders in the state legislatures or the private sector who could be enticed to take on the total Democratic stranglehold on government in the midst a deep, deep recession (wink, wink)? I want to hear some in the comments.
Among the most promising and potentially gettable recruits on this list are Elway (Colorado), Linda Lingle (Hawaii), John Hoeven (North Dakota), and Rob McKenna (Washington).
Arkansas - Blanche Lincoln
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee - Run Huck Run! I really wish he would recognize that he has a hard ceiling for any POTUS primary run, but could be elected in a cakewalk back home. The Dems have no shortage of self-sacrificing figures like Mark Warner who could have gone higher but instead performed a valuable service to their party by limiting their longshot national ambitions, keeping themselves in the game, and growing the party.
Former Rep. Asa Hutchinson
Rep. John Boozman
Note: Despite this being a McCain +20 state, there are NO Republican statewide elected officials and only 1 out of 4 GOP representatives. Arkansas is probably ripe for a some sort of organized project akin to Karl Rove's turning Texas red in the '80s and '90s and Tim Gill et al. turning Colorado blue in the 2000s.

California - Barbara Boxer
Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (declared)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rep. David Dreier
Rep. Devin Nunes
Rep. Mary Bono Mack

Colorado - Ken Salazar
John Elway
Former Gov. Bill Owens
Attorney General John Suthers
Rep.-elect Mike Coffman - former Secretary of State just elected to replace Tancredo, so it's unlikely he'd make a race in 2010, but he should be noted as a potential future statewide candidate

Connecticut - Chris Dodd (potential retirement)
Gov. Jodi Rell
Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele
Rep. Chris Shays - defeated for re-election and would clearly not be a perfect Republican vote, but still has the best track record of surviving in Connecticut
Former Rep. Rob Simmons

Delaware - Biden vacancy
Auditor General Tom Wagner
All ears for any potentially talented State Reps or Senators. We need to start somewhere.

Hawaii - Daniel Inouye
Gov. Linda Lingle - term-limited in 2010

Illinois - Obama vacancy
Rep. Peter Roskam - safely re-elected 58-42% in a close seat against the Obama tide; ran a great campaign in 2006
Rep. John Shimkus
Rep. Mark Kirk - hung tough in a liberal seat against an Obama-esque Dem nominee
Mike Ditka

Indiana - Evan Bayh
Rep. Mike Pence
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman
Sectetary of State Todd Rokita
State Treasurer Richard Mourdock
State Auditor Tim Berry

Maryland - Barbara Mikulski
Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (if not elected RNC Chairman)
Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich
Because of its proximity to DC, there may be somebody of national prominence who lives in Maryland, though they would have to start making a name for themselves statewide now

Nevada - Harry Reid
Former Gov. Kenny Guinn
Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki
Rep. Dean Heller

New York - Chuck Schumer and potential Clinton vacancy
Rudy Giuliani
It's pretty slim pickings to find a good statewide figure or a non-parochial GOP Congressman, so we may be left looking to business or sports for other options

North Dakota - Byron Dorgan
Gov. John Hoeven - declined to run in 2008 because of re-election bid, but wouldn't be up in 2010 and would be the ideal GOP statewide nominee
Secretary of State Al Jaeger
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem (Wayne's brother)
State Tax Commissioner Cory Fong

Oregon - Ron Wyden
Sen. Gordon Smith
Rep. Greg Walden
Former Gov. candidate Kevin Mannix

Washington - Patty Murray
Dino Rossi
Attorney General Rob McKenna
2006 Sen. nominee Mike McGavick

Wisconsin - Russ Feingold
Rep. Paul Ryan