Byrnes gives Dems new hope in 7th

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Another year, another contested election for U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, whose underperformance in the Republican-leaning 7th Congressional District biennially gives Democrats visions of victory.

After facing an underfunded and underwhelming Democrat in 2012, Walberg finds himself going against top-tier opponent Pam Byrnes, the former speaker pro tem of the Michigan House and a Washtenaw County commissioner.

Byrnes, 67, raised enough money to get on TV with her critiques that Walberg has unapologetically embraced the perks of Congressional life – a $174,000 annual salary, a private gym, first-class travel airfare and "luxury vehicle" rentals.

The same attacks could arguably be levied against any incumbent, however Byrnes is spicing up the argument by pointing out that Walberg took his salary during last year´s government shutdown, unlike a few other members of Michigan’s congressional delegation.

"Congressman Walberg owes the people of Michigan an explanation, and he owes the taxpayers a refund for keeping his paycheck," Byrnes said. "I´m pledging to never take a paycheck if the government shuts down, and Congressman Walberg should do the same."

The Michigan Truth Squad panned this line of attack as being "perhaps the most cynical ad of the election season" in that members of Congress who turned down their benefits eventually received it.

Byrnes is idealistically claiming she´ll change the system. In reality, an elected Byrnes will find herself in the minority, representing a competitive district. The chances of any of her bills, let alone one that sniffs of politics, getting moved to the Senate are about the same as a meteor slamming into Capitol Hill … maybe less.

Nonetheless, Byrnes will draw the Democratic base to her side, having been endorsed by the UAW, EMILY´s List and the Sierra Club. She´s raised more money ($1.93 million) than any another Michigan Democratic congressional challenger in a competitive seat.

For a spell, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee left open the possibility of spending in her race – as it and other outside groups did for Mark Schauer in 2008 and 2010. But with Democratic incumbents nationwide in peril, the Dems withdrew from Byrnes´ race, and most other pick-up opportunities, leaving Byrnes to her own devices.

Byrnes said she would have liked the help, but never counted out on it, and is pleased with what limited polling she´s seen on the race.

MIRS commissioned an automated Practical Political Consulting survey Oct. 9-13 of 348 likely voters in the Eaton County-to-Monroe County District that found Walberg up 51.5 to 48.5 percent with a 5.2 percent margin of error.

Considering PPC has the Democratic base at 43 percent, Byrnes said earlier this month she´s happy where she is in the race.

"It´s all about being on the ground and contacting people … I think it´s really making a difference," she said.

Walberg, 63, said he isn´t as convinced the race is that close. Serving in his third term in Congress, the former state lawmaker and ordained minister enjoyed his greatest margin of victory in 2012 when he won by more than 10 percentage points.

He´s not known for his charisma or being particularly bipartisan, but Walberg appeals to the Christian right of the district, particularly those in Branch and Hillsdale counties. He retired as a division manager from the Moody Bible Institute and once served as the Warren Reuther Center for Education.

The Human Rights Campaign earlier this month named Walberg to its "Hall of Shame" for not supporting for LGBT legislation in deed or word. He´s one of 18 members to be labeled "most anti-equality" members of Congress.

Business groups, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Right to Life like Walberg, as do the anti-government types. He´s signed onto a plan to decentralize federal highway funding by cutting the national gas tax from 18.4 cents to 4, for example.

He voted against the bipartisan, bicameral "compromise" to reopen government last year after 16 days of shutdown because it raised the nation´s debt ceiling without making the degree of cuts he was looking for.

The National Journal and the American Conservative Union in 2013 both ranked Walberg as Michigan´s most conservative member of Congress in separate reports. The Americans for Prosperity gave him an "A" ranking.

As such, the conservative groups that poured money into Lansing-area TV in 2008 and 2010 for Walberg would do the same this year if they smelled trouble, but they don´t.

However, if the race does get close, Byrnes could benefit from three other names on the ballot, all of which would likely suck more votes away from Walberg than her. The U.S. Taxpayers Party and Libertarians each have candidates, and their voters historically vote for Republicans if given only the choice of "R" and "D."

Also, independent candidate David Swartout is running a "By the people, for the people," Founding Fathers-type campaign, which tends to appeal to conservatives.

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