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GOP Aims To "Reverse The Vote" Of 24 House Democrats

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They voted for the health care bill. With enough money behind the opposition, could they be voted out of office next year?

Republicans aim to find out with a new effort to raise campaign funds for challengers to two dozen House Democrats who voted for the health care bill earlier this month.

Reverse The Vote Victory Committee was established this week with the Federal Election Commission as a joint fundraising committee that will collect contributions to distribute among 24 GOP challengers.

It's still months until the first nominees will be formally selected in primary elections, so the committee for the time being will give campaign funds to 24 separate "congressional victory committees" that in turn will deliver the funds to party nominees once they are determined.

Who Took A Risk By Voting For The Health Care Bill?

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Dozens of House Democrats bucked their party on Saturday's health care vote. But how about those who might have taken a political risk by siding with their party?

Let's look at the Democrats from Republican-leaning districts who voted for the bill and Republicans from Democratic-friendly districts who opposed it.

Of the 49 House Democrats that represent districts that John McCain won in 2008, 18 of them voted for the bill.

Cantor Confers Cash To Challengers

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Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, the House Minority Whip and one of the GOP's most potent fundraisers, used his leadership PAC last month to donate mostly to Republican candidates who are challenging Democratic incumbents in the 2010 election.

Cantor's organization, known as Every Republican Is Crucial (ERIC) PAC, reported Monday that it donated $2,500 apiece to five GOP challengers about whom the congressman and other national party officials are bullish.

They are Andy Harris of Maryland, a state senator challenging Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. in a rematch of their close 2008 race in the 1st District; Martha Roby of Alabama, a Montgomery city councilwoman who is taking on Rep. Bobby Bright in the 2nd District; Steve Pearce of New Mexico, a former House member who lost a Senate race in 2008 and is seeking to reclaim his old 2nd District seat, now held by Rep. Harry Teague; Steve Stivers of Ohio, who is waging a rematch campaign against Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy in the Columbus-area 15th District; and Van Tran of California, an assemblyman who is taking on Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the 47th District.

Virginia Republicans Ben Loyola and Scott Rigell, who are challenging first-term Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye in the 2nd District, have invested substantial personal resources into their campaigns.

Loyola, a businessman, loaned his campaign $500,000 in this year's third quarter, according to a report his campaign filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. Loyola's loan comprised more than 90 percent of the $548,000 in total receipts he reported for the three-month period that began July 1 and ended Sept. 30.

Rigell, who owns car dealerships, gave personal loans or contributions to his campaign totaling $226,000, or almost exactly half of the $453,000 in total receipts. He relied more than Loyola on contributions from individual donors.

State Senator Readies Bid Against Virginia's Perriello

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Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello has drawn a 2010 challenge from state Sen. Robert Hurt, the latest and highest-profile opponent to the first-term Democrat.

Hurt said Wednesday that he filed candidacy paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to prepare a challenge to Perriello, who upset Republican Rep. Virgil Goode in the 2008 election.

The National Republican Congressional Committee circulated Hurt's announcement press release to reporters, a sign that the campaign arm of House Republicans prefers Hurt as its candidate in a conservative-leaning district it hopes to wrest from Democratic control.

Virginia Rep. Wolf Draws Democratic Challenger

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Democrat Patrick Lewis, a lawyer and businessman, has initiated a 2010 U.S. House campaign to challenge long-entrenched Virginia Republican Rep. Frank R. Wolf.

Lewis will try to make the case that it is time for a change. But he has picked a tough target in Wolf, the 15-term incumbent from the state's 10th District and a politically dominant figure for three decades in the northern Virginia suburbs and exurbs of Washington, D.C.

"Now more than ever, northern Virginia needs real leadership to tackle the problems facing our community and our country," Lewis said in a press release that announced his formation of an "exploratory" committee, a move that is usually a precursor to a formal campaign.

He said that he looked forward "to putting my experience of military service, job creation, and business management to work for the people of northern Virginia."

Virginia Rep. Nye Gets Sixth GOP Challenger

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If Republicans fail to unseat freshman Virginia Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye next year, it won't be because of a lack of interest.

Scott Taylor, a businessman and former Navy SEAL, announced his candidacy Tuesday, becoming the sixth Republican to make preparations to seek the seat in southeastern Virginia's 2nd District.

These half-dozen candidates are competing for the nomination to challenge Nye, a former international development official whose 2008 victory over Republican Rep. Thelma Drake -- by a 5 percentage-point margin -- came in his first bid for public office.

Taylor, in a video on his campaign Web site, says that "as your congressman, I'll work to protect traditional values, guard our 2nd Amendment rights, decrease the tax burden for individuals and businesses, and do everything I can to strengthen our free market system."

Dodd, Murtha Among 2010 Targets of Family Research Council PAC

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The conservative Family Research Council's political action committee plans to target 16 congressional races in 2010. The group's president, Tony Perkins, said the PAC has a goal of raising $1 million to boost grassroots activity in targeted races.

The group wants to spend money to help favored candidates take over the seats now represented by:

Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat who is running for a full term in Colorado after his appointment this year;

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, a Democrat who is running for re-election in Connecticut;

New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican who is retiring;

Missouri Sen. Christopher S. Bond, a Republican who is retiring;

Rep. John Boccieri, a Democrat who represents Ohio's 16th District;

Virginia Developer Takes on GOP Whip Cantor

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Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 ranking Republican in the U.S. House, has drawn a 2010 election challenge from Democrat Charlie Diradour, a real estate developer.

In a video posted on his campaign Web site, Diradour came out swinging against Cantor, the House minority whip, who is in his fifth term representing the precincts of central and north-central Virginia that comprise the state's 7th District.

Diradour chastised Cantor for being captured on TV consulting his Blackberry during President Obama's health care address to Congress last week, calling the incumbent a "card-carrying member of those who make up the most pampered, out-of-touch and politically rude class of elite Washington politicians in this country's history."

Virginia Freshmen Join Forces To Raise 2010 Money

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The three Virginia Democrats who replaced Republicans after the 2008 election will be raising some campaign funds together as they prepare for their House re-election campaigns.

Virginia Freshmen Victory Fund was established Monday with the Federal Election Commission as a joint fundraising committee that will collect funds and then divvy them up among the campaign committees of Reps. Glenn Nye of the 2nd District, Tom Perriello of the 5th District and Gerald E. Connolly of the 11th District.

The victories of Nye, Perriello and Connolly enabled Democrats to increase their House majority in the 2008 election, but the Republicans are targeting all three Democrats in 2010.