Free Republic

Republican lawmakers are running away from town halls in August. In a New York Times piece about the frustrations of one citizen activist in Texas, some prominent Republicans who have not held an August town hall are listed. They include: Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL); Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AK); Rep. John Kline (R-MN); Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX); Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), the chair of the House Rules Committee; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who has "not announced any town halls but did participate in them in 2009."

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - Erika Harold is a Harvard educated lawyer, a former Miss America, and a conservative Republican who's now running for Congress. Her beauty queen credentials have gotten her lots of attention, but an email that surfaced today could get her a lot more. Harold is running against incumbent Rodney Davis in a primary next March. Since she is bi-racial, GOP activist Doug Ibendahl wrote that she'd be good for the party. "Just be a great face for the Republican party," Ibendahl wrote. "We could actually do, in Illinois, we could do more than talk about diversity....

A 33-year-old former Miss America says she plans to challenge first-term U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis in the 2014 Republican primary. Erika Harold announced her campaign Tuesday at Urbana High School. She grew up the Illinois city and recently moved back there from Chicago.

Dems target vulnerable GOP lawmakers over health law repeal voteBy Meghashyam Mali - 07/02/12 06:00 AM ET The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is launching a new campaign Monday targeting vulnerable GOP lawmakers on healthcare ahead of the House vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. "Democrats are on offense as we expose these House Republicans for standing up for insurance companies and congressional perks instead of protecting consumers," said DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.), in a statement announcing the drive. "For 18 months, Republicans have been on defense for protecting millionaires over Medicare and now they're planning another vote...

Rodney Davis, an aide to U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, has been chosen by Republican leaders to be the GOP candidate for congress in the newly redrawn 13th Congressional District. Davis, of Taylorville, will be the GOP candidate instead of U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Champaign. Johnson won the Republican nomination in the March primary election, but announced shortly afterward that he would retire and not run in the general election. "As I traveled throughout the district during the selection process, voters told me that they wanted a common-sense, fiscally-conservative Representative in Washington to help restore the economy, create jobs and cut...