Show-Me-State Conservative Sees Republicans Recapturing Fifth District
by Chad Groening
February 17, 2004
(AgapePress) - A Christian sales executive and city alderman hopes to make political history this fall by winning a Missouri congressional seat that has long been held by liberal Democrats.Republican Steve Dennis is encouraged by the fact that, thanks to redistricting, Missouri's Fifth Congressional District seat is no longer considered a shoo-in for the Democrats.
"Republicans and conservative Republicans actually picked up about another 18,000 new net Republican votes we've never had before here," Dennis says, "so it's what I call the 'New Fifth Congressional District.'"
The congressional hopeful says this new Republican influx has invigorated his campaign. "The Democrats have taken votes for granted for the last number of years," he says. "In fact, they look at this seat as a Democrat entitlement. And I think that we on this side of the political spectrum and the folks that I've been talking to are more than energized to take this seat back and make a little history this year."
Dennis says he has been walking a lot of Greater Kansas City's blocks and has talked with many people who say they have voted Democrat their entire lives. He says many have told him privately that "they are embarrassed by the Democrat Party."
Dennis says even staunch Democrats have told him they are chagrined, and not only because of retiring liberal Democrat Karen McCarthy, who has been plagued by personal problems and who, in nine years, has only brought one bill to the House floor.
