Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Arizona lawmaker joins race for House majority leader post

By wire services
Published January 14, 2006

WASHINGTON - Arizona Rep. John Shadegg jumped into the race to become the No. 2 Republican in the House on Friday, setting up what could be a difficult contest in an election year.

Shadegg joins Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt and Ohio Rep. John Boehner in seeking to replace former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. DeLay announced a week ago that he would not try to regain the post under pressure from Republicans concerned about his reported ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Shadegg came to Congress as part of the Republican landslide in 1994, which won Republicans control of the House for the first time in 40 years. He said he doesn't have confidence the other contenders would help the House bring about enough change.

"I believe in the power of Republican ideas, and I believe that we need a clean break from the scandals of the recent past," Shadegg said.

"Members of our Republican conference disagree about policy and tactics, but we stand together in our respect for this institution, our hatred of corruption and our support for the basic principles of our party," Shadegg said in a letter to fellow Republicans.

Blunt has been acting majority leader since DeLay was indicted last fall on charges of laundering campaign funds. Blunt has said more than 80 House members have come out in support of his candidacy, compared to 40 such supporters for Boehner.

Blunt is also majority whip, which gives him an advantage in reaching out to members. He is the candidate naturally linked to the current leadership team, which rarely loses a vote and has learned to accommodate different wings of the party in assembling coalitions.

Winning the majority leader post requires 116 votes in the 231-member GOP caucus.

Shadegg is presenting himself as a fresh alternative to Blunt and Boehner, each of whom has extensive ties to Washington's lobbyist and fundraising communities.

Boehner and Blunt said they welcome Shadegg to the race.

"The campaign for House majority leader officially begins again today," Boehner said. "His entry into the majority leader race is further proof the conference isn't happy with the status quo."

WASHINGTON - Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, said Friday he is running to be chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, which is part of the House leadership.

The committee has been chaired by Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., who now plans to run for majority leader. Putnam described the committee as "the incubator of ideas" for House Republicans.

"The House Republican Policy Committee must develop plans and policies for the next 50 years, not just the next fiscal year," Putnam said. "We cannot afford to address the problems of the 21st century by looking to the solutions of the past; we need to tackle today's challenges with a bold, fresh perspective. As a governing majority, it is our responsibility to develop a blueprint for the future."

So far, there are no other candidates in the race. The election is scheduled for Feb. 2.

Times Washington bureau chief Bill Adair contributed to this report, which includes information from the New York Times and Associated Press.

[Last modified January 14, 2006, 01:39:15]