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Ose to seek Doolittle post, backer says
By David Whitney - dwhitney@mcclatchydc.com
Last Updated 6:05 am PST Thursday, January 31, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A3
WASHINGTON – Former Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, will announce Friday his candidacy for the House seat being vacated by Rep. John Doolittle, Sacramento-area Republicans were told Wednesday in an e-mail.
Doug Elmets, a political consultant who has worked for Ose before, declined to confirm the report from Carl Burton, president of Republicans of River City.
Ose held the Sacramento area's 3rd Congressional District seat from 1999 until 2005, when he retired to keep a promise to serve no more than three terms. He would face a primary in which former state Sen. Rico Oller, R-San Andreas, and national security consultant Eric Egland have already announced.
An Ose-Oller matchup would likely dominate the Republican primary battle. Both have large bases of support, Ose from six years in the House and Oller from state legislative experience in much of Doolittle's 4th Congressional District.
Ose, who supports abortion rights, is regarded as more moderate. Oller has picked up the endorsement of the conservative Club for Growth, which raised nearly $150,000 for him when he ran for Ose's old seat in 2004 and lost to Dan Lungren, R-Gold River.
The campaign could be one of the most expensive Republican primary battles in the country. Both Oller and Ose are wealthy and have spent heavily from their own pockets in previous races.
Ose would enter the race as the apparent campaign cash leader. He never closed his 1998 election campaign committee, which reported at the end of October having more than $460,000 in reserves. The committee still owes Ose, a developer from a prominent family, almost $1.3 million he lent it in 1998.
Oller retains a campaign committee from the 2004 race, but it shows no reserves with the committee owing him more than $200,000 he lent it from a fortune he earned in construction supply.
Egland reported having about $77,000 in the bank at the end of October. New reports covering the last quarter of 2007 will be released today.
Republicans of River City urged Ose to run for Doolittle's seat after the Roseville Republican announced he would not seek a 10th term.
Burton said that he was told by sources close to Ose he would announce his candidacy Friday on the steps of the Auburn courthouse.
About the writer:
- Call David Whitney, McClatchy Washington Bureau, (202) 383-0004.
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DOUG OSE The ex-House member would be the cash leader in a GOP primary battle with ex-state Sen. Rico Oller.
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