The Florida 16th race

How will this congressional seat play out since Knucklehead ex-Congressman Foley's resignation? Tim Mahoney is still running for the seat and Foley's name is likely to remain on the ballot.

US Today reports the following

Foley's departure sent Republicans scrambling for a replacement candidate.

Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days. The page was 16 at the time of the correspondence.

Foley's resignation further complicates the political landscape for Republicans, who are fighting to retain control of Congress. Democrats need to win a net of 15 Republican seats to regain the power they lost in 1994.

Florida Republicans planned to meet as soon as Monday to name a replacement in Foley's district, which President Bush won with 55% in 2004 and is now in play for November. Though Florida ballots have already been printed with Foley's name and cannot be changed, any votes for Foley will count toward the party's choice.

TFM thinks the fact that Foley's name will remain on the ballot won't bode well for GOP chances of holding onto this seat. Who wants to vote for a name associated with a sex offender even if that's not the person still running?

The 16th is a Republican district and has only been seriously contested when has been no incumbent running. That's the good news.

Who will run? The Sun-Sentinel floats a few names.

Possible candidates include Republican state Reps. Carl Domino of Jupiter and Gayle Harrell and Joe Negron of Stuart. Both Harrell and Negron have eyed Foley's seat in the past.

Harrell could not be reached for comment on Friday. Domino said he wasn't planning to run for Foley's seat, but would think about it.

"If I were a betting man, I would think I wouldn't do it," he said. "But when all your friends are calling you and you're on the top of their list to be a congressman, that's pretty humbling."

Negron said he planned to run.

"I think this seat is too important to hand it over to Tim Mahoney," he said, adding that he's already lined up support from key Republicans, including state Sens. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie.

Pruitt could have been a candidate except that he has some serious ethics problems. All these potential candidates face the challenge that Mahoney has had his name out in television advertisements for over a month. How well voters know any of the above is uncertain to TFM. I know who Domino and Negron are but don't know much about them and I follow PB County politics.

The Palm Beach Post made their prediction in a front page headline.

Democrat in position to win firm GOP seat

TFM isn't ready to write off this race but the GOP faces a serious challenge in holding this congressional seat. That makes support like this look increasingly foolish with every day.

Others blogging on Florida 16th news- Captain's Quarters, Stop the ACLU

Linked to- Bright & Early, Right Wing Nation, Blue Star, Cao's Blog, Third World County, Outside the Beltway,