After 20 years representing the 4th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. David Price has dealt with many ups and downs during elections.
But this year, Price — a Democrat originally from Tennessee — said his most formidable threat is not his opponent or his platform, but the economy.
“People are anxious and concerned about the economy and jobs,” Price said. “It’s a difficult time and the political consequences of that could be all over the place.”
This fall, Price is facing his 13th Republican challenger since being elected in 1987. Thus far he has been highly successful, winning 12 of those contests, but the political climate could make this fall’s election unique, he said.
Opposing Price is B.J. Lawson, a medical doctor and former business owner with a libertarian platform emphasizing reductions in government oversight and spending.
“I have never faced a more extreme candidate. He’s way, way beyond the Republican Party,” Price said. “He has views that historically go back to before Hoover.”
Although little polling has been done on the race, political analysts such as Dean Debnam, the president of the left-leaning think tank Public Policy Polling, say Price’s fundraising and name recognition should ensure his re-election.
Being a long-term incumbent has allowed Price to not only have advantages come election time, but also rise through the House ranks.
As chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Price controls the drafting of the Homeland Security budget, which in 2010 totaled more than $50 billion.
