Conservatives Mounting Key Primary Challenges – Federal

Go here for a list of state office primaries to help.

The defeat of establishment Republican Indiana Senator Richard Lugar sent a message that, as Lugar’s Tea Party backed opponent Richard Mourdock said, awakened a sleeping giant and gave a wake-up call for smaller and more fiscally responsible government – but Mourdock’s win was just the beginning of a stretch of key primary contests that will decide the direction of the Republican Party and Congress for many years to come.

As the primary season has moved into the summer, small government constitutional conservative candidates across the nation have built campaigns that are now challenging establishment Republicans for a number of federal offices.  Here is a list of key federal races in states that have yet to hold their primary elections.  These are all candidates who have primaries in the next few weeks; in some cases early voting is already underway. 

It is time for conservatives to head to the sound of the guns in the Texas runoff elections and in other rapidly approaching primaries.

Steve Stockman - Texas Congressional District 36 Republican Primary Runoff (July 31)
Steve Stockman first took his principled small government constitutional conservative philosophy to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 where he fought for limited government, strong support for American families, a robust military and a balanced budget.  Stockman has now been called back to fight for those same principles in 2012 – a time when his commitment to small government constitution principles is needed more than ever.  Steve Stockman is endorsed by ConservativeHQ.com Chairman Richard Viguerie, Brad Lewis, Co-founder of the Southeast Texas Tea Party, Conservative Victory Fund, Gun Owners of America, the NRA, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Rev. Don Wildmon, and many other pro-life and small government constitutional conservative leaders.  To help Steve Stockman win his runoff on July 31 go to http://congressmanstevestockman.com/

Scottie Mayfield - Tennessee Congressional District 3 Republican Primary (August 2)
Businessman Scottie Mayfield is the real boat rocking conservative in Tennessee’s 3rd District Republican primary -- and the best hope for replacing squishy Republican Chuck Fleischmann with a reform-minded conservative.  The other candidate in the race is Weston Wamp, son of former Congressman Zack Wamp.  Mayfield is active in his church, the winner of the Sam Walton Business Leader Award and numerous other community leadership awards.  Fleischmann is supported by the usual cast of characters from the Washington Republican establishment.  To help Scottie Mayfield win his primary election and defeat a squishy incumbent Republican go to http://www.scottiemayfield.com/

Sarah Steelman - Missouri U.S. Senate Republican Primary (August 7)
Sarah Steelman is the grassroots conservative “boat rocker” in this closely fought race.  While each of the other two candidates have some conservative support, Congressman Todd Akin and businessman John Brunner are both tied to the old ways of doing things in Washington, with the self-funding Brunner particularly hostile to the Tea Party and small government constitutional conservatives.  Former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman is the only grassroots outsider in the race and she has the local activists of the Party behind her, as well as U.S. Senator Mike Lee, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party Express, the Susan B. Anthony List and other national conservative support.   To help Sarah Steelman defeat the business as usual crowd in Washington go to http://sarahsteelman.com/

Mark Neumann - Wisconsin U.S. Senate Republican Primary (August 14)
Conservatives have an opportunity send a proven principled conservative to the Senate by backing former Republican Congressman Mark Neumann over former Governor (and ultimate GOP insider) Tommy Thompson and self-funding businessman Eric Hovde.  Neumann, who took on the House leadership over their spending and ethics lapses when he was in Congress, has been endorsed by The Club for Growth and Senator Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund.  Neumann also has the backing of Republican Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul. To help send a proven principled conservative to the Senate to help Jim DeMint, Mike Lee and Rand Paul fight for constitutional government go to http://neumann2012.com/landing/convention/index.htm

Ron DeSantis - Florida  Congressional District 6 Republican Primary Open Seat (August 14)
Ron DeSantis is an Hispanic Navy veteran and former prosecutor who worked and paid his way through Yale University, where he was the varsity baseball captain and graduated with honors in History.  He later graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.  Ron’s endorsements include, Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, The Club for Growth, Erick Erickson, Editor-in-Chief, RedState.com, FreedomWorks PAC, U.S. Senator Mike Lee, Ambassador John Bolton, Fox News Contributor.  http://voteron2012.com/

Trey Radel - Florida  Congressional District 19 Republican Primary Open Seat (August 14)
Former radio talk show host Trey Radel is the conservative “boat rocker” in the crowded Republican field vying to replace Congressman Connie Mack who is running for the Senate.  Radel, who has the support of many local right-to-life, Tea Party and conservative activists, was long known as the “conservative voice” of Southwest Florida.  Unlike the other candidates who are attempting to move-up the elective office ladder, Radel has never held public office and has no ties to the Tallahassee and court house “good old boys networks” that often dominate Florida politics.  To help Trey Radel, a real conservative boat rocker who is not beholden to any special interest groups go to http://www.treyradel.com/

Dave Weldon - Florida U.S. Senate Republican Primary (August 14)
Former Congressman, and pro-life champion, Dave Weldon is taking on Congressman Connie Mack IV in one of the key insurgent verses insider races of the primary season.  Weldon came to the primary late, but has gained ground as the preferred alternative to Mack’s dynastic ambitions to follow his father to the U.S. Senate.  Mack’s criticism of the Arizona immigration bill, his votes in favor of stem cell research and his hunger for earmarks have given Weldon a strong base from which to attack Mack’s commitment to the conservative agenda.  While Mack enjoys a lead in the polls, many conservative activists believe the race will be decided by late-breaking pro-life and Tea Party voters who see Mack as part of the Washington establishment and thus part of the problem.   As the Tampa Bay Times said in its endorsement of Dave Weldon, “U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV of Fort Myers has the famous name, the endorsements, the PAC money — and questionable work habits, a sense of entitlement and an undistinguished record in Congress.”  To help Dave Weldon go to http://daveweldonforsenate.com/