Former Rep. Brad Carson, D-Okla., won't be making a comeback bid to reclaim his old congressional district after all.
After Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., announced his retirement earlier this month, Carson immediately signaled he would run again for the seat he vacated in 2004 to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate.
After Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., announced his retirement earlier this month, Carson immediately signaled he would run again for the seat he vacated in 2004 to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate.
"Lots of people here on Facebook have asked me whether I intend to run for the US House seat I held from 2001 to 2005. I very much appreciate the well wishes and encouragement, but wanted to let people know that I am not running for the seat," Carson wrote on his Facebook page. "There will be many good candidates, and I look forward to helping one of them."
Calls to Carson have not yet been returned.
"I don't think the district has changed that much in the last seven years. I think Dan did a great job, and I think my voting record would be similar to what Dan's was," Carson told Hotline On Call the day of Boren's announcement. "The next few months that will be the heart of the effort -- this campaign will cost upwards of $2 million."
With Boren's surprise exit, the seat immediately became a top pick-up opportunity for Republicans who, despite the district's sharp GOP lean, had been unable to take on the popular Boren in recent years. With a familiar face in the race, Democrats had hoped they could have a chance to hold onto the seat. But Democrats still have a candidate taking a serious look at the race. Former state Sen. Kenneth Corn had also said immediately after Boren's announcement that he was mulling a run. Corn, who was the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010, told Hotline On Call today he was surprised by Carson's decision not to run, but that he's still likely to enter the contest and spoke with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about a possible run a week and a half ago. "[Carson] was a good congressman I know he would have been a formidable opponent. I wish him well in whatever he does," said Corn. "I am still very likely to enter the race for Congress. We have been busy talking with family, friends and supporters. Nothing has changed there, and we are still proceeding." Republican state Rep.George Faught has already formed an exploratory committee for the seat, and state Sen.Josh Brecheen has been mentioned as another possible GOP contender.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/06/no-carson-comeback-29
Calls to Carson have not yet been returned.
"I don't think the district has changed that much in the last seven years. I think Dan did a great job, and I think my voting record would be similar to what Dan's was," Carson told Hotline On Call the day of Boren's announcement. "The next few months that will be the heart of the effort -- this campaign will cost upwards of $2 million."
With Boren's surprise exit, the seat immediately became a top pick-up opportunity for Republicans who, despite the district's sharp GOP lean, had been unable to take on the popular Boren in recent years. With a familiar face in the race, Democrats had hoped they could have a chance to hold onto the seat. But Democrats still have a candidate taking a serious look at the race. Former state Sen. Kenneth Corn had also said immediately after Boren's announcement that he was mulling a run. Corn, who was the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010, told Hotline On Call today he was surprised by Carson's decision not to run, but that he's still likely to enter the contest and spoke with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about a possible run a week and a half ago. "[Carson] was a good congressman I know he would have been a formidable opponent. I wish him well in whatever he does," said Corn. "I am still very likely to enter the race for Congress. We have been busy talking with family, friends and supporters. Nothing has changed there, and we are still proceeding." Republican state Rep.George Faught has already formed an exploratory committee for the seat, and state Sen.Josh Brecheen has been mentioned as another possible GOP contender.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/06/no-carson-comeback-29