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Redistricting presents incumbents a stark choice: Retire and avoid a grueling campaign, or buckle down and fight. Fourteen veteran Democrats who served at least four terms opted to retire after this year with no immediate plans to run for another office, compared with 10 veteran Republicans. One of the Democrats was Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., who chose to forgo a race for a sixth House term rather than run in a contentious primary when he was lumped into a district with a fellow Democratic veteran, 12-term Rep. David Price. "There would be no joy in this campaign," Miller said in announcing his decision. Among those seeking to stay in Washington, there's been a clear push to stay ahead of the game. Tierney has raised $900,000 -- almost $200,000 more than he took in for the 2008 election
-- as he runs for re-election this year. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., has raised almost $800,000 for her first vigorous race in 16 years. Some of the longtime members most affected by redistricting in 2012 are regular targets. In Utah, Matheson was already girding for a tough race when the GOP-controlled Utah Legislature carved up his new district, making it even more conservative. The same is true for Barrow, already under pressure as the last white Southern Democrat in the House, who has seen more Republicans added to his district this year. Both Matheson and Barrow have raised more than $1 million to fight for their seats. In Iowa, longtime Rep. Leonard Boswell, first elected in 1996, was drawn into a district that includes more Republicans and faces a top-flight challenge from another incumbent congressman, Republican Rep. Tom Latham. Boswell has raised nearly $1 million for the race. Rep. Jim Costa, one of Capps' California colleagues, has prepared for a potentially tougher race by raising more than $800,000. Capps has not faced such opposition since her first election to a full House term in 2000. She said she's kept her operation well-tuned over the years even with minimal challenges to her seat. "It's what you have to do to run a good campaign," she said.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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