National Republicans think they have found the right candidate to challenge freshmen Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) in the 8th district next year.

Greg Goode (R), who works for Indiana State University, told local reporters that he is seriously weighing a Congressional bid.

The 34-year-old college official previously worked on Capitol Hill. He was chief of staff to then-Rep. Brian Kerns (R-Ind.) and a legislative aide to Kerns’ predecessor, former Rep. Ed Pease (R).

Goode now works in the university’s government affairs office.

“We believe he will make an excellent candidate,” said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “As long as Brad Ellsworth continues to vote 90 percent of the time with [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), he will continue to make himself increasingly vulnerable.”

The conservative 8th district supports Republicans in presidential elections, but Ellsworth was a popular former sheriff who may be able to survive ideologically driven attacks.

“Congressman Ellsworth shares his district’s values and has provided an independent voice for the people he represents,” said Ryan Rudominer, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman. “Though we’re still 17 months from Election Day and the NRCC is down and desperate, Ellsworth’s already accomplished just what he said he’d do on a range of issues — fighting for strong ethics reform, lessening our dependence on foreign oil, and standing up for our nation’s fighting men and women. Hoosiers of all political stripes can be extremely proud of that record.”
— Nicole Duran