Former Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R) announced he will run for a seat in the Pennsylvania state Legislature, according to local news reports this week. The one-term former Member is challenging a first-term Democrat in his bid for in the state House.

Fitzpatrick lost re-election in 2006 to Rep. Patrick Murphy (D). Fitzpatrick refused to rule out another bid for months after his defeat, but Marine Corps Reserve Col. Tom Manion (R) announced his candidacy last week to run against Murphy, with Fitzpatrick’s blessing.

The southeastern Pennsylvania district is one of the few in the country that Sen. John Kerry carried in 2004 but had a Republican Member representing it until 2006. Last cycle’s race also was one of the closest vote tallies in the country: Murphy defeated Fitzpatrick by about 1,500 votes.
— Shira Toeplitz