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Beekeeper Challenges Jeff Denham #CA10

Denham has a new Democratic challenger, a beekeeper and farmer from Kingsburg, Calif. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Denham has a new Democratic challenger, a beekeeper and farmer from Kingsburg, Calif. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A beekeeper and farmer from Kingsburg, Calif., announced Tuesday that he will challenge GOP Rep. Jeff Denham in a Central Valley district with swing potential.

This will be Democrat Michael Eggman’s first race, but as the Sacramento Bee pointed out, he is the brother of state Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman.

Denham was a top target of national Democrats in 2012, and his race invited a torrent out of outside spending from both sides. But he survived against astronaut Jose Hernandez in a district that President Barack Obama carried by 4 points.

(How was Denham’s fundraising last quarter? See Roll Call’s fundraising chart of House races to watch)

This cycle, Denham was among the first 11 GOP incumbents included in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s incumbent-protection program. Democrats are again looking to take him out and hope Eggman’s profile will be a good fit for the rural 10th District.

“Delivering bees requires me to drive hundreds of miles throughout this Valley. Farmers, small businesses and our Valley families are hurting and we are really disgusted about the inability of our elected leaders to work together on the issues facing us,” Eggman said in a statement. “I’m not a politician, I’m a small family farmer so people will know where I stand and can trust that I’ll put our communities first.”

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