Domestic issues reshape US House race in Kansas

Democrat Nancy Boyda rode anti-war and anti-Republican sentiment into the U.S. House two years ago, but economic uncertainty is focusing her re-election race on domestic issues.

Republicans view Boyda as vulnerable, in part because they outnumber Democrats 3-to-2 in the 2nd Congressional District, in eastern Kansas. Boyda faces State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins in the Nov. 4 election.

Financial markets are in turmoil and fuel prices remain high as Boyda seeks a second term. Jenkins, meanwhile, is a former legislator who's serving her second term as treasurer.

"She's pretty much the optimal candidate," said Duke University political scientist David Rohde.

Boyda portrays herself as independent, willing to work with Republicans in Congress. She has shunned national party money to run a newspaper-insert, march-in-parade campaign.

As she did in 2006, she's trying to be visible throughout the district's 26 counties. She also started running television ads last month, one featuring a former soldier who got help from Boyda's office to get surgery for injuries he sustained in combat.

And, Rhode said, conditions still aren't favorable for Republicans nationally, because they've got too many open House seats and have had some trouble raising money.

"It's too late for it to be a Republican year, unless they find that all the Democrats in Congress are al-Qaida operatives," Rohde said.

Jenkins began broadcasting her first television ad this week. It touches on her background as a certified public accountant and her childhood on a dairy farm. She touts a pledge she signed not to increase taxes.

Her main pitch is a familiar one for a Republican running against a Democratic incumbent in GOP-leaning Kansas. She contends Boyda is out of touch with the district, too aligned with liberal Democratic leaders in Congress.

"This is a race very doable for us. All we have to do is educate the people of the 2nd District of her voting record," Jenkins said.

Despite avoiding national party funds, Boyda has accepted campaign money from a committee formed by New York Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

Republicans are using Rangel's financial and ethics problems against Boyda and other Democrat incumbents. Boyda says she wants an investigation into the matter, but thinks Rangel shouldn't step down as chairman until more information is known.

For Jenkins and other Republicans, Boyda is too close to Rangel and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents a San Francisco district.

"I can't figure out what Kansans and the good people of San Francisco have in common 93 percent of the time," Jenkins said.

Boyda calls such criticism "a very tired statement." She noted that the National Journal, a Washington-based political publication, called her "the center of the center."

"I am used to very, very, dirty tricks," Boyda said. "I've been the brunt of many of them."

Jenkins, while trying to run a campaign as a Washington outsider, hosted a fundraiser with first lady Laura Bush earlier this month. President Bush was scheduled to be the headliner, but sent his wife instead so he could monitor damage from Hurricane Ike.

Meanwhile, both candidates said voters see the economy as the top issue, worrying that paying their mortgages, buying groceries or saving for a college education is slipping from their grasp.

"It really brings a great deal of uncertainty," Boyda said. "It's a matter of trust. It's a matter of what's going on in the economy and the markets. There's a lot of insecurity and anxiety that is hitting our families."

She said the financial crisis was caused by "taking the referees off the field," allowing markets to regulate themselves, along with greed and bad decisions.

"The American people got run over," Boyda said.

While she doesn't favor wholesale government regulation of the financial markets, Boyda said increased oversight is necessary.

Jenkins agreed that greed was a factor but said Congress shouldn't act to quickly to correct the markets.

"There needs to be a close look at the system, top to bottom. It needs to have monitors in place, but over-regulating can have an even more devastating effect," she said. "I think it's unfortunate that we've put ourselves in this situation."

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On the Net:

Nancy Boyda: http://www.nancyforcongress.com

Lynn Jenkins: http://www.lynnjenkins.com

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