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You know that the fast-starting 2008 congressional election cycle has begun in earnest when challenger candidates start publicizing their bids for next year’s elections in places not known for hot competition — such as Idaho’s strongly conservative 1st Congressional District. Democrat Rand C. Lewis already has established his plans to take on freshman Republican Rep. Bill Sali in that western Idaho district. It is far from clear, and may not be for quite a while, whether Lewis — a retired army colonel with a Ph.D. in history — will have the Democratic field to himself. Local politics watchers are awaiting word from the 2006 Democratic nominee, former Micron Technology executive Larry Grant, who lost to Sali but by a margin of just 5 percentage points, 50 percent to 45 percent, with three other candidates splitting the remaining 5 percent -- Jesse Stanchak/Congressional Quarterly.

Question: Would you prefer to see Larry Grant run again against Congressman Bill Sali? Or would you like to see a Demo newcomer, like Rand C. Lewis take his shot?

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