Brian Howey reports former U.S. Rep. David McIntosh is working the phones for support for a political comeback of sorts in Indiana's 6th District, which U.S. Rep. Mike Pence has represented since McIntosh gave up the seat to run for governor in 2000 after serving three terms in Congress. McIntosh, who has been living and working in Washington since he lost his bid for governor, told Howey, "Muncie was always our home." "We still consider Muncie our home." McIntosh told Howey he would wait for Pence to make official his decision to give up the seat to run for governor.
The new 6th District includes Shelby County where the candidate who came the closest to defeating U.S. Rep. Burton in Indiana's 5th District, Luke Messer, resides. Messer formerly worked on McIntosh's congressional staff and is said to be very interested in running for the open seat. McIntosh left many Republicans with a sour taste in their mouths after he ran a lousy campaign against Frank O'Bannon in 2000. I wouldn't be surprised to see Messer and others challenge McIntosh in the primary. McIntosh is a partner at the D.C. law firm Mayer Brown. Messer went to work as a lobbyist at Ice Miller when he first left his seat in the Indiana House of Representatives before leaving the firm to run for Congress. He now lobbies the General Assembly for charter schools.
