The Eye

His statement didn't mention Murtha, whose earmarking of appropriations dollars for district projects and his ties to individuals who are under federal investigation have come under increased scrutiny by the news media.

Bucchianeri was a kicker for the Naval Academy's football team and is a native on Monongahela, a city in Washington County south of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania's 12th is an oddly shaped district that includes all or part of nine counties, taking in Murtha's hometown of Johnstown along the way. John McCain narrowly defeated Barack Obama in Pennsylvania's 12th, according to a CQ Politics analysis.

Bucchianeri doesn't have his campaign Web site up yet, but records show he registered it on May 19, seven days before he announced his candidacy.

A Murtha-Bucchianeri race pits a 76-year-old congressman who was first elected in 1974 against a 34-year-old challenger who was born after Murtha was already in Congress.

Murtha, who's expected to seek an 18th full term next year, has been opposed in the Democratic primary just four times -- and that includes two cases in which he was paired with another Democratic incumbent following the redistricting process.

Murtha's closest call was in the 1990 primary, in which he defeated lawyer Kenneth B. Burkley by 51 percent to 43 percent. According to the CQ Weekly magazine, Burkley had accused Murtha of "using his clout to secure his own financial well-being rather than to help his economically struggling constituency."

The only other time Murtha was opposed in the Democratic primary was in 1986, when he beat Christopher G. Lewis by 81 percent to 19 percent.

Murtha wasn't opposed in the 2008 Democratic primary, but he did face an unusually competitive challenge in the general election from Republican William Russell, a retired Army officer. Late in the campaign, Murtha ramped up his political operation and got assistance from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, lifting the congressman to a 58 percent to 42 percent victory.

Russell is running again. Also seeking the Republican nomination is Tim Burns, a businessman.