Roll Call Names Rooney Early Favorite Among Republicans
December 19th, 2007 at 10:04pm Boru
Seeking to Erase Stain of Foley, Republicans May Turn to Rooney
November 19, 2007
By Matthew Murray,
Roll Call Staff
With instant message-gate in the rearview mirror, Pittsburgh Steelers heir
Tom Rooney (R) is fast becoming the early darling of south-central Florida
GOP diehards, who desperately want to start a new chapter after the
demoralizing free fall of once-popular former Rep. Mark Foley (R).
“Among the base, [Rooney's] clearly the favorite” for the Republican
nomination in Foley’s old 16th district, a knowledgeable local GOP source
said.
Rooney, a lawyer and former Army captain, is one of three viable Republicans
walking parades and working half-empty rooms 10 months out from Florida’s
late primary. The winner gets to take on freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney (D), who
won the seat after Foley abruptly resigned less than two months before
Election Day last year.
Quickly into his term, Mahoney, Foley’s wealthy Democratic opponent who
remained a long shot last year until the scandal broke, became a Republican
target, his victory a stark reminder for Republicans of how the party’s
wheels fell off in the final weeks before the midterms.
And now with a once-comfortable Republican seat in enemy hands, local
Republicans are quietly whispering about wanting to start over, putting the
Foley affair behind them and backing Rooney, an untested 36-year-old
conservative whose fundraising potential and lack of political experience is
quickly gaining support among conservatives in the district.
Unlike other Republican losses last year, Rooney said Friday that the loss
of Foley’s seat was due primarily to local Republican apathy over the Foley
scandal.
“[Foley] was very well-liked. It was just disappointment, on top of
everything else,” Rooney told Roll Call. “The numbers are pretty clear that
turnout became a problem with Republicans; where turnout was usually pretty
strong, it just wasn’t there.”
The district, which takes in several south-central Florida communities, both
along the coast and inland, gave President Bush an 8-point victory over Sen.
John Kerry (D-Mass.) in the 2004 White House election.
“Widespread dissatisfaction with Republican control in the House,” Rooney
said, “was true in a large part of the country, but I’m not so sure if that
was the case in district 16.”
Rooney said he believes the GOP can win the seat back because voters are
still thirsting for change.
“The idea that people already voted for change in 2006 remains to be seen,”
he said.
Rooney raised $429,000 through Sept. 30, closing out the third quarter with
$337,000 in the bank, compared with primary GOP rival Harrell’s $251,000
third-quarter cash-on-hand total. Valeche, considered a distant third for
the nomination, had $243,000 in the bank as of Sept. 30.
Mahoney, by contrast, had more than $1.1 million in the bank at the end of
September.
Although all three GOP candidates’ third-quarter totals were roughly in the
same vicinity, some Republicans point to Rooney’s potential ability to raise
money out-of-state, a function of his family’s connections in Pennsylvania
and elsewhere, which also could be a sigh of relief for the cash-strapped
National Republican Congressional Committee.
“Rooney has the package people are looking for,” a knowledgeable local
Republican source said. “The NRCC is officially neutral, but the Republican
establishment is behind Rooney because he’s new, young, dynamic.”
Unlike Harrell, “[Rooney] doesn’t have eight years of votes,” the source
continued. “People in Florida are very upset right now about their insurance
going up, their property taxes and they think the Legislature hasn’t done
enough to solve these problems.”
Through Sept. 30, 61 percent of Rooney’s campaign contributions originated
in Florida. Nearly $100,000 was from the Keystone State.
“If Rooney wins the nomination, [he's] eight weeks away from, hopefully,
becoming a U.S. Congressman,” the source continued. “You can’t tell me that
a family that owns the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t going to go all out.”
Harrell’s primary attribute, local Republicans sources agreed, is her name
recognition in the district. Unlike Valeche, a promising candidate who is
relatively unknown throughout the district, Harrell’s state House seat sits
entirely within the Congressional district.
But given that perceived advantage, some Republicans are quietly questioning
why she hasn’t done more with her head start.
“Considering the advantage of being in office, raising money, I think it
shows weakness in her campaign,” a source said. “Face it, if you are already
in public office and you’re in the fourth term in the Legislature, you
should be lapping the field.”
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