Congressman Larry Kissell’s campaign has already put more than $400,000 in the bank as it gears up to face the pick of the litter from an expanded field of Republicans squaring off in the May primary for a spot on the November 2010 ballot.

To date, four Republican hopefuls and one Libertarian candidate have signed on to jockey for space on the ballot with Rep. Kissell when the seat comes up in mid-term elections.

To get to Washington, Kissell won the second of two vigorous campaigns against former Republican U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes in 2008.

In that election, Kissell was on the same Democratic ticket as President Barack Obama, and in 2010 he will face an opponent who has survived a competitive primary season.

Earlier this week he said he is proud of the work he has done for veterans’ causes, the expansion of home health care, fighting unfair trade practices and consumer protection since taking office.

“I’m keeping my focus on the people of the 8th District and working with folks on both sides of the aisle to do what is best for our people here at home,” Rep. Kissell wrote in an e-mail.

The 8th District seat is highly coveted by Republicans on the national level, and Kissell is considered a bit of a swing vote in the health care reform package.

In a recent appearance with the freshman Congressman, however, Vice President Joe Biden pointed to another bill that may put a stamp on Kissell’s 2008-2010 term - his outspoken support of the stimulus package.

“That stimulus bill vote could haunt Kissell,” Biden was quoted by McClatchy News Service. “He had the nerve and wisdom to take a chance, even though I know (Kissell) got the living devil beat out of you at home.”

While Richmond County is a stronghold of the North Carolina Democratic Party, the 8th District extends from Concord to Fayetteville, where more military voters mean right-wing leanings in a more populous portion of the congressional swath.

Hayes held the seat for five terms before his defeat in the 2008 rematch with Rep. Kissell. Despite whisperings of a comeback, Hayes announced in August he won’t mount a 2010 campaign.

Those who have already declared for the Republican primary include Richmond County resident and The Umbrella Factory owner Darell Day, Retired Army Col. Lou Huddleston, Hoke County businessman and veteran Tom D’Annunzio and, most recently, Mecklenburg County IBM employee Hal Jordan.

The most unconventional candidate for the seat is Libertarian Thomas Hill, who is seeking to become the only third party member of the North Carolina’s federal congressional roll.

Huddleston and Jordans’ names are familiar from failed campaigns for the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Huddleston was beaten soundly in 2008 by Fayetteville Rep. Margaret Dickson, and Jordan lost a close race to former N.C. Speaker of the House Jim Black from Mecklenburg County in 2006.

Huddleston was a no-show after recently being expected to make a campaign appearance at a meeting of the Richmond County GOP. The retired colonel has been rescheduled to appear in November before the group.

His campaign Web site, www.votehuddleston.com, states his opposition to cap-and-trade and corporate bailouts, which are both positions Rep. Kissell has embraced during his time in office, as well as his pro-military and economic viewpoints.

He recently announced that he raised more than $102,000 in a 35 day period to gear up for the primary.

Jordan announced his candidacy Monday for the May primary, calling Rep. Kissell a “reliable vote for Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Leadership in Congress,” and pledging to “represent the people’s priorities and their conservative values.”

“People are rightly fearful that Congress is leading our nation towards financial disaster and that our children will pay dearly for the trillions of debt that Washington is leaving behind as its legacy,” Jordan said in a press release. “The citizens of the Eighth District deserve leadership that is focused on putting our financial house in order, solving important problems, and avoiding the gridlock of politics as usual.”

The run is Day’s first foray into politics, and his Web site www.stopthemadnessstopthechange.com declares his religious beliefs along with his political perspectives.

He said he expects the winner of the Republican primary to take the 8th District seat in an interview with the Daily Journal upon the announcement of his candidacy.

Finally, D’Annunzio appears to be mounting a successful fundraising campaign for the 2010 race. He recently announced he has more than $260,000 in cash on hand for the campaign.

This puts him in the best financial shape of any candidate challenging an incumbent in North Carolina, according to his press release.

The Raeford veteran and business owner is in support of smaller government, lower taxes and a stronger military.

His Web site, www.timvote.com, features his stance on such issues as gun control, education and illegal immigration.

For the record, D’Annunzio says he is a life-long National Rifle Association member who home schools his two children and opposes any amnesty for illegal aliens.

He appeals to voters to “join me and together we can save this great state and our country from the tax and spend policies of our current politicians.”

The most radical candidate for the seat is Hill, a Libertarian activist whose Web site features a petition for House Resolution 1207, better known as the Audit the Federal Reserve bill.

Though Rep. Kissell has expressed staunch opposition to the U.S. Treasury’s TARP program and corporate bailouts, he is in the minority by not signing on as a co-sponsor of the controversial legislation.

Democrats in bordering districts, Rep. Brad Miller and Rep. Mike McIntyre, are among the North Carolina delegates who have signed on to it.

Among others, Federal Reserve Chairman and Dillon, South Carolina native Ben Bernanke has mounted a strong offensive against giving Congress more tools to provide oversight to the banking body that sets the country’s monetary policy.

Among a list of goals at the top of Hill’s Web site www.thomasbhill2010.com are “Dismantle the Empire, bring the troops home ... Abolish the Federal Reserve, allow competing currencies ... Repeal the Patriot Act, end the War on our Civil Liberties ... End the War on Drugs, release all non-violent drug offenders ... Terminate all foreign aid programs, withdraw from the (United Nations).”

His libertarian views appear to be diametrically opposed to corporate interests, free trade agreements and a managed economy, as well as military intervention, globalization and federal social programs.

n Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.