NC-11: Heath Shuler (D) vs. Rep. Charles Taylor

[Moooooo]

From the A.P.

Former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler is mounting a challenge for the U.S. House seat held by Republican Charles Taylor of Brevard.

Shuler, a Democrat who lives in Waynesville, said in a statement Monday that he has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission that clear the way for him to run next year in the 11th Congressional District.

Taylor, an eight-term incumbent, has been targeted by the state Democratic Party in recent months. The party has released a series of statements attacking Taylor's ethics and under the leadership of new party chair Jerry Meek has created a task force aimed at shoring up Democratic prospects in the western mountains.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Extremely interesting... what are Shuler's views like?

[nini2287]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/more/07/18/bc.na.spt.namesinthegam.ap/

here's an article about it.  From his statement, he sounds to be talking the party line of unemployment, health care, etc.

[PADem]

Chances? Not that good i'd assume in NC-11?

[The Duke]

I guess his chances are as good as the Redskins chances were of winning when he was under center.

[tarheel-leftist85]

I know NC is always branded as Republican country.  What's in NC-11?  Buncombe Co. and Asheville.  No guarantees, and the edge goes to the incumbent, but Asheville is deceptively less conservative than one might suspect.  Of course, there's more than Buncombe:  There's a slew of light blue counties in that district.  Simply look at the map.  If Dems. are having a good election night, this might be one of them.  Let's just say it's more vulnerable than DeLay's seat.  We are a state of ticket splitters, we just do it the complete opposite of Connecticut.