Tea Party backed candidate launches bid for open House seat
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/20/art.stutzman.stutzman.jpg caption="Just two weeks after finishing a surprising second in Indiana's Republican Senate primary, state senator Marlin Stutzman is making another bid for office."](CNN) - Just two weeks after finishing a surprising second in Indiana's Republican Senate primary, state senator Marlin Stutzman is making another bid for office.
Stutzman announced Thursday that he would seek the House seat of fellow Republican Mark Souder, who is resigning following his admission of an extramarital affair.
"We must have strong, principled, accountable leadership in Washington that will stand strong for Hoosier values and represent 'We the People,"' said Stutzman, in formally announcing his candidacy.
Souder abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday, after acknowledging that he "sinned against God" by engaging in a relationship with a member of his staff. The 59-year-old married father of three, who just won a competitive primary, said he will leave office at the end of the week.
Souder, a social conservative, was first elected to Congress in 1994 and represents Indiana's third Congressional district, located in the northeast region of the state.
Stutzman is a farm owner in the district. He won the backing of many Tea Party activists and of conservative Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina in his bid for the GOP Senate nomination. He lost to former Sen. Dan Coats but came out ahead of former Rep. John Hostettler, who was much better known across Indiana.
Other GOP candidates may jump into the contest for the open seat. Party caucuses of committee members will choose the nominees in the race. No date has been scheduled for the special election.
Former Fort Wayne city councilman Tom Hayhurst is the Democratic nominee for November's general election. He could become his party's pick for the special election.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
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Another radical nutjob purified by Demented of SC?
Who died and left Demented in charge of the entire country?
ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha
Another Tea Party candidate . . . Good!
With Rand starting to sqawk as much as the Nevada chicken lady, and now this guy wanting to represent *we the people* as well, I imagine this summer is going to be absolutely hilarious!
Sorry Stutzman, but accountability isn't high on the list of GOP virtues right now . . .
This wave of extremism in the political thought process which,unfortunately for this nation, has seen some success does not augur well for this country or its people.
Instead of progressive visionaries needed now more than ever to lead us out of self induced morass of follies by the previous admn, we see wannabees shaded with bigotry, biases & misguided ideology coming forth.
God help us.
This guy doesnt have a clue.A study should be done to see if corn dust affects brain function.
"Souder, a social conservative"
Why insist on the lie? He clearly wasn't. Actions speak louder than campaign rhetoric and partisan political games.
Let's see how long Stutzman last before a scandal about him breaks. These conservative, "family values" republicans are making a mockery of themselves everyday. The democrats don't have to do anything. The republican party is dying. It's a great day in America.
Sounds like he is saying " I'm a politican , no matter what the job.
I'll keep running until you put me in a spot in the national spotlight"
Just what Washington needs – more of the same.
Makes me think the GOP should have a different "purity test' for its candidates.
Maybe he likes losing...
I'm pretty sure Souder also promise to provide "strong, principled, accountable leadership in Washington", while simultaneously having an affair with his top aide on morality. At least he had the decency to resign.
Good luck, Mr Stutzman!
Well, Mr. Stutzman, are you prepared for your life to become an open book? Will your past survive the intense scrutiny to see if you ever did anything that could cause potential embarassment to Mr's Beck and Limbaugh and Mrs. Palin? If not, you better bow out now before any news items of interest to the National Inquirer become known!
DEMS will defeat the GOP over and over, on the issues......
GOP wants to:
Politicize the national debt, (yet they voted no on a congressional debt commision with binding powers)
Hate regulation of any kind on the free market
Want to put Social Security in the stock market
Want to keep Don't Ask Don't Tell
Want nothing to do w/ immigration reform, which actually has 2 parts to it, control the borders, and a path for work visas, and citizenship, if qualified.
what is it about Indiana that keeps sending republican nuts to Congress and the Senate?
Is there something in the water?
Great. Another wingnut not to vote for.
So in other words "Tea Party" means "Political Opportunist", just like many of us thought it has all along.
Stutzman is a farm owner in the district.
============================================
Oh geezzz.... A hard working self-employed businessman... Something the DemocRATS and libtards on this blog can't relate to!
Go for it! And WIN!!!
The Republicans pick another loser.
Ah, another Teahadist anxious to commit political suicide and take the GOP with him. Can we ask him about the Civil Rights Act please? Can we can we???
And the Right wing just keeps on delivering in the Christian hypocracy department. Gotta love it. One of our dems may have lied about his record in a past war but this kind of stuff is ALWAYS worse because so-called Christian Conservatives always try to align themselves with the Right and are almost inevitably let down everytime. LOL!
Tea Party people are just hard right conservative republicans
"The democrats don't have to do anything. The republican party is dying. It's a great day in America."
Dude, you simply cannot be serious. Or if you are, you're seriously delusional. Counseling might help.
Why don't you take the next few months and come up with some talking points about how the democrat slaughter coming this November really isn't a statement on the Obama administration?
Wait i will have to call russ lim scum to say if he likes this guy
Sorry but I'm not interested, I don't vote for Tea Party candidates. Have a nice day.
Very happy to see another teabagger (self named) candidate. They are a very sad bunch indeed, highlighted by Souder's farewell speech, blaming "a toxic atmosphere in Washington" instead of himself. I'm getting the impression that "social conservative" means not socializing with the wife.