07/ 25/ 2006
A handful of competitive seats will determin whether we maintain the narrow pro-small-business majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Here are five of the most-watched campaigns.
Arizona: Arizona's Tucson-based 8th Congressional District leans Republican, but is competitive, and both parties have crowded, contentious primaries on Sept. 12.
There are three main candidates running for the GOP nomination: state Rep. Randy Graf, former Republican state chairman Mike Hellon and state Rep. Steve Huffman. Graf's campaign focuses primarily on stricter immigration policies.
TV personality Patty Weiss and state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords are the Democratic front-runners.
Colorado: In Colorado's 7th District, 2002 GOP hopeful Rick O'Donnell, executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, has no primary opposition. A dynamic, pro–small-business candidate, he enjoys considerable grassroots support. On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter and former state Rep. Peggy Lamm are running.
Every election since the district's 2002 creation has been a tough campaign, and both parties think they need to win this open seat.
Florida: Rep. Clay Shaw is serving his 13th term in Florida's 22nd, a balanced district that presidential hopeful John Kerry won in 2004. Shaw, who has earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business award, is a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee and could be the next chairman.
His likely opponent, Democrat state Sen. Ron Klein, has amassed a war chest of more than $1 million, and his allies are eager to defeat Shaw, who has excelled at winning tough races.
Iowa: In Iowa's 1st, GOP Rep. Jim Nussle is running for governor, which leaves open a difficult seat in a district that voted for both Al Gore and John Kerry.
On the Republican side, businessman Mike Whalen was the winner of a spirited primary that left him positioned to win a tough general election. He strongly supports small-business issues.
Former Iowa Trial Lawyers Association President Bruce Braley is the Democratic nominee. Braley won his primary on the strength of his campaign war chest, which was funded by trial-lawyer friends and other interest groups. He will be similarly funded in the general election.
Pennsylvania: In Pennsylvania's 6th, Rep. Jim Gerlach again is a top target in suburban Philadelphia. Attorney Lois Murphy is challenging Gerlach for the second time, emboldened by the 49 percent vote she captured as John Kerry carried the district in 2004 by more than 11,000 votes.
Gerlach, a veteran of tough campaigns, has earned the Guardian of Small Business award and has been a strong supporter of tax cuts, Small-Business Health Plans and tort reform. He won the seat in 2002 and in 2004 by just two percentage points, and this year's election is expected to be just as close.
Election Day Isn't the First Day to Vote—It's the Last!
Thanks to the growing trend of early voting, you don't have to sacrifice your vote because you're busy trying to run a successful business. State election offices are opening up balloting earlier than the traditional Nov. 7 Election Day. Eighty percent of states now allow early voting, including several battleground states such as Illinois, Ohio, Maryland and Washington. Here are three easy ways to cast your ballot early:
1. Direct early voting. Cast your vote at designated polls during a specific time period prior to Election Day.
2. A traditional absentee ballot. Complete an application and then receive a ballot to return by mail before the designated deadline.
3. An in-person absentee ballot. Complete an application at a local elections office and cast your vote in person.
Find out more about early voting options in your state at www.NFIB.com/politics. Click on "Early Voting" in the "Candidates & Elections" section.
NFIB.com
Get a small-business perspective on other hot races at "Key Race Spotlight" in the "Candidates and Elections" section of www.NFIB.com/politics.
