2006 Races Begin to Take Shape.

Congressional primaries will begin in eight months, with the general election still 16 months away. However, several congressional races are already taking shape, with candidates declaring and campaigns well under way.

To date, four senators have announced that they will not seek re-election when their terms expire in 2006. They are pro-abortion Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), pro-abortion Senator Mark Dayton (D-Mn.), pro-life Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tn.), and pro-abortion Senator Jim Jeffords (Ind-Vt.).

Several candidates, including pro-abortion Congressman Benjamin Cardin and pro-abortion former Congressman Kweisi Mfume, are actively seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat in Maryland. Others are still in the exploratory stage.

Cardin and Mfume were both elected to Congress in 1986. Cardin has continued to serve, while Mfume stepped down in 1996 to take over as president of the NAACP. Mfume resigned that post in December 2004 and is now seeking the Senate seat. Pro-abortion Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D) is also considering a run for the nomination.

On the Republican side, pro-life Lt. Governor Michael Steele is exploring a run, but has not made public any decision.

For Dayton's seat in Minnesota, Republican Party leaders, including pro-life Governor Tim Pawlenty and pro-life Senator Norm Coleman, quickly coalesced behind pro-life Congressman Mark Kennedy. Kennedy is not expected to have strong opposition in seeking his party's nomination. He spoke at NRLC's national convention last month, as did Gov. Pawlenty.

Democrats in Minnesota may have a multi-candidate primary as several candidates seem determined to seek the nomination. Pro-abortion community activist Patty Wetterling, who ran against Kennedy for the congressional seat in 2004, and pro-abortion Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar are both seeking the nomination, along with businessman Kelly Doran.