Regardless of who wins the Republican Primary race for Florida’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, they’ll have a tough climb versus infamous congressman Alan Grayson. Below, you can read excerpts from a Politico.com article, Rivals shy away from Alan Grayson.
Among the sources in the story was John Dowless, who predicted a tough road for the Republican nominee.
One of the most respected Florida conservatives, former state Sen. Daniel Webster, shocked the party when he announced he wasn’t running — even though he’d already begun to scout locations for his campaign kickoff and had talked to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) about supporting his potential candidacy. Several state legislators also took a pass, despite the inviting political landscape and the national party’s hunger to oust Grayson.
Then there were the two well-funded Orlando businessmen, Tim Seneff and Jerry Pierce, who also floated their names as possible challengers before deciding to step aside.
Analysts on both sides say that potential challengers have had to think long and hard about whether they want to engage in what is sure to be a smash-mouth, no-holds-barred campaign. The pugnacious Grayson is not only independently wealthy — he is one of the wealthiest members of the House, with an estimated $31 million net worth — but now also possesses a national fundraising base in the wake of a headline-grabbing episode last month in which he claimed on the House floor that the GOP health care plan consisted of wanting sick seniors to die quickly.
“These people realize that Grayson plays hardball. There are two reasons that are giving these Republican candidates pause: It will be a bruiser of a campaign, and he has a huge amount of money to spend,” said John Dowless, a leading Republican consultant in the Orlando area.