50Seats.Com, The Series: Part XV, FL-22 Incumbent Ron Klein

“Florida’s 22nd congressional district is a congressional district in Florida. The residents of the 22nd district are represented in the United States House of Representatives by Democrat Ron Klein. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of D+1.”

“The 22nd district encompasses the coastline of South Florida from northern Broward County to the northern end of Palm Beach County, with a long finger jutting out into the northeastern part of Palm Beach county and another finger encompassing Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, and Coconut Creek. Also included in the district are the towns of Oakland Park and part of Cooper City.”

“The district was created after the 1990 Census. Republican E. Clay Shaw, Jr. was elected in the first election for the district in 1992 and was subsequently reelected for six terms until he lost to Democrat Ron Klein in the 2006 election.”

“The 22nd district was the center of the disputed 2000 presidential election in Florida and the ensuing Florida election recount In the 2008 presidential election, 52 percent of the votes cast in the district went for Barack Obama.”

Ron Klein is winding down his second term in that seat having barely won his first term by a 51-48 margin. He has a horrible voting record (very similar to that of Grayson’s over in FL-8) and needs to be replaced. Liberty First PAC has already endorsed retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Allen West in this race, but we’ll still look at the details about Mr. West, and about the race for this House seat in 2010 after the jump…

Like Grayson, Klein was a no on banning Federal funds for abortion, a yes on TARP, yes on Cap & Trade, and yes on the Stimulus and Health Care bills…and like Grayson, Klein has got to go.

Florida’s primary is August 24. Klein has one opponent. So, too, does Allen West. Here’s what CQ Politics (which by the way calls this one “Likely Democrat”) has to say about this race:

Klein, who beat West by 10 points last cycle as President Obama won the 22nd district by 4 points, is still favored. But Republicans are hoping their slight voter registration advantage and a favorable environment will help West unseat Klein this time around.

West, who was outspent by a 4-to-1 margin during the 2008 campaign, has turned into a fundraising machine this cycle. He doubled his total from the last cycle by December 2009 and would be nearly even with Klein in the money chase if the sophomore incumbent had not begun 2009 with a head start of nearly $1.6 million cash on hand,

And national Republicans are giving West some extra attention this time around. West’s fundraising ability was a major reason he was tapped as one of the first 10 challenger candidates to be included in the top level of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” fundraising and campaign infrastructure program.

Allen West was in contention last time around, and he has gained favor and support from a growing number of people and organizations, including Liberty First PAC. Last election was carried, in large part, by all the excitement of Obama’s campaign and all that Hope and Change stuff that has since been flushed spirally downward. THIS time around, wanting to start un-doing Obama’s mess, West should be a no-brainer.

Visit his site, learn where he stands on the issues, and help him clear the primary and kick Klein out of that seat.

Note: This post originates at 73Wire.

[The Liberty First PAC has endorsed Allen West for this seat in FL-22...with more endorsements to follow as the campaign heats up. Anyone interested in supporting the Liberty First PAC can go here to contribute, and help make a difference in these critical upcoming mid-term elections. Donate now, donate often!]