Barney Frank (D-MA-4), Will Be Up for Re-Election in 2012

Barney Frank(D-MA4) will be up for reelection in 2012 - photo wikipedia

Barney Frank, (MA-4) will, once again, be up for reelection in 2012. In 2010 Frank faced his first serious challenge in decades, and won by, what can be considered a narrow margin in Massachusetts, receiving a total vote of 126,194 to Republican newcomer, Sean Beilat’s 101,517. The 24,677 votes in Franks favor is a far cry from the 2008 election where Frank received 203,032 votes to Republican Earl Sholley’s 75,571 votes,or what was anticipated happening in 2010. As more voters become aware of Frank’s involvement in the Financial Sector over his long tenure in the Senate, dissatisfaction sets in; it is the candidate who will drive home this point in 2012 that will best Barney.

Frank now has several negatives playing against him, one of which is the “power factor”, Frank will be the outgoing Chairman of the Finance Committee, but will still serve as a member of the Committee in the House of Representatives, a position from which he oversaw the Federally backed mortgage giants, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Up to the very end of his Chair, Frank remains steadfastly progressive, an interview with CNBC (below), gives Franks perspective on voting against the tax cuts instituted by President Obama and a bipartisan committee of legislators. According to Frank, “taxing the rich”, (or those who create jobs), is a no-brainer, and those who inherit “estates” should be taxed to the hilt, because “they didn’t earn the money”. Perhaps Frank would be wise to visit a family farm, where everyone works, and where an estate tax of the magnitude preferred by Frank, would result in the loss of the farm by heirs, otherwise known as sons and daughters.

Additionally, Frank, who’s 4th district is home to some of the highest unemployment in the Bay State, was given a helping hand in this past election, when those supporting the Dream Act, got out and in 13 hours, across Massachusetts, found enough votes to push each and every Congressional incumbent over the top to a win. It is doubtful, with Massachusetts in the firm grasp of like-minded progressives, that the situation will change any time between now and the next election.

Finally, the anti-incumbent mood in Massachusetts was not lessened by the results of the 2010 elections, specifically on the Congressional side, where each challenger gave the incumbent Democrat a serious run for their money, the end result being that those war chest heavy incumbents had to spend the money at home defending their turf, instead of spreading it across the nation, allowing Democrats to hold seats. Contrary, the mood is one of although the Congressman was reelected; the gap was much narrower than in the one previous contest, and, therefore, the Republican candidate who does end up as the Frank Challenger will be well armed. The candidate will most likely be a strong fiscal conservative, who sat out the last election, and has the wherewithal to go toe to toe with Frank.

Frank’s district should escape any redistricting attempts as the Census due out today, may indicate a loss of a Congressional seat in the Bay State due to a drop in population. The most likely target will be those districts in the Western end of the state currently held by Olver (D-MA1) and Neal (D-MA2).