Young says he will seek re-election

U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young pleased a hometown crowd of Republicans on Saturday night by announcing he'll run for re-election in November for his 21st term in Congress.

"We're here tonight to say that 2010 begins for us tonight," Young told a crowd of several hundred people at a Pinellas County Republican Party fundraising dinner.

That announcement lessened some of the worries among state and national Republicans about holding onto Young's increasingly Democratic-leaning district in the 2010 election.

Young acknowledged in an interview, "I had some issues to deal with on whether to run again." And to the crowd he said, "It's been suggested I was playing a little bit coy" about his plans.

He said that a family tragedy - the deaths of premature infant twin granddaughters three weeks ago - affected his schedule.

It was more intense than usual this year, after Young apparently told Gov. Charlie Crist last summer he would be interested in an appointment to finish the term of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, who retired unexpectedly. Taking that appointment could have suggested Young didn't want to remain in the House.

Young said he settled on running again partly because, "I'm very concerned about the direction that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are trying to take the country," referring to the Democratic House speaker and Senate majority leader, respectively.

He was strongly recruited to run again by national party figures, including another speaker at the dinner, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, head of the party's congressional campaign committee.

Sessions' job in Florida got tougher last week when Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, announced that he will retire. His brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who represents another Miami district, intends to switch districts, leaving his own, a more Democratic-leaning district, open to challenge.

It would only increase the GOP's burden if the party had to spend heavily to defend Young's 10th District.

In the November election, Young likely will face state Sen. Charlie Justice, possibly the toughest Democratic opponent he has faced in years. Justice opened his campaign nearly a year ago.

Justice last week began what he says will be "an indictment" of Young over what the calls earmark-related corruption.

Young, a former appropriations committee chairman, has been known for years for delivering federal benefits to his district and others.

The 10th District consists of southern Pinellas County, except areas of south St. Petersburg, and coastal northern Pinellas.

Republicans still hold a plurality of district voters, 170,749 to 164,400 Democrats and 109,105 no-party or minor party voters as of the 2008 election. But the district sometimes votes Democratic, - going for Barack Obama by 51 percent in 2008.

However, Young noted that he beat Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth in that election with 61 percent of the vote.

The dinner, the Pinellas party's annual fundraising gala, was a tribute to Young for nearly 50 years in public office.