Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS), a Blue Dog Democrat from a key swing seat, will not be running for re-election in 2010, the Kansas City Star reports.
Moore was first elected in 1998, and faced close re-elections in 2000 and 2002, before getting more and more comfortable margins in the last three elections. The district voted twice for George W. Bush by strong margins — 53%-42% in 2000, and 55%-44% in 2004 –Â but it swung to Barack Obama by 51%-48% in 2008.
A Republican source tells us that the seat could be a strong pickup opportunity for them. One potential GOP candidate would be former state Sen. Nick Jordan, the 2008 nominee, who lost that year by a 56%-40% margin. Jordan is conservative, but is reputed to be in touch with the state party’s moderate wing and could provide a unifying force in an open-seat race.
A Democratic source was more optimistic, citing the district’s base in the Kansas City suburbs and parts of the liberal college town of Lawrence. “We think this is a strong seat for us,” the source said. “Dennis Moore’s going to be a hard act to follow for any candidate, but we know what it takes to win in this seat, and demographics are certainly in our favor.”
