COVINGTON — Defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas is one of the national Republican Party's top campaign priorities this election year, a leading GOP political strategist said on a visit last week.

Lucas

        U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, also said his committee — charged with funding and electing GOP House candidates — could dump as much as $500,000 in an effort to win the seat.

        “From Washington, we think this is one of our top prospects for picking up the seat,” Mr. Davis said in an interview in Covington last week.

        “I'm not exaggerating when I say that.”

        Mr. Davis was in town to raise money for Boone County Republican Geoff Davis. Geoff Davis is challenging Mr. Lucas in this year's 4th Congressional District race.

        Tom Davis was the draw at a campaign fund-raiser held on Geoff Davis' behalf at the posh Metropolitan Club, a private club on the 19th Floor of the RiverCenter office complex in Covington.

        About 70 people paid at least $250 to attend the event, which was closed to the media. The two Davises are not related.

        National party leaders often claim high interest to hype a race to potential donors, party faithful and the media.

        But Tom Davis' appearance, comments and pledge of potential financial support are clear indications that the national Republican Party political apparatus plans far more involvement in beating Mr. Lucas than it did two years ago.

        And it shows the party is basically writing off Roger Thoney, the little-known Highland Heights Republican running against Geoff Davis in May's GOP primary.

        In 2000, Mr. Lucas, 67, won a second term by defeating Oldham County Republican Don Bell in a race the national GOP all but ignored.

        But Mr. Lucas won with just 54 percent of the vote against an opponent he out-raised 16 to 1, Tom Davis said.

        “That shows me there is some vulnerability with the right (Republican) candidate,” he said.

        Tom Davis also said that Geoff Davis will be more “in sync” with other House Republicans and with President Bush's administration when it comes to promoting the GOP's and the president's agenda.

        Putting Geoff Davis in Congress will help the GOP hold the House and get its bills heard, he said.

        “The majority rules, and the team that runs the House decides what votes are called,” Tom Davis said. “And with the Senate in Democratic hands, it's really necessary for the country to give the president a starting point for his agenda.”

        Bob Doyle, Mr. Lucas' top Washington strategist and fund-raiser, said the voters of the Fourth District want a bipartisan approach from their representative.

        “Ken has built a bipartisan record and partisan folks like Tom Davis come into the district and play the only card they have, which is nothing really more than Republican rhetoric coming out of Washington,” he said.

        Mr. Doyle pointed out Mr. Lucas' bipartisan voting record, including supporting the president's 2001 tax cut. He also recounted how Mr. Bush relied on Mr. Lucas' support of legislation on homeland security and an economic stimulus package that passed the House but died in the Senate.

        “The actions of the president ... and how he feels about Ken Lucas speaks for itself,” Mr. Doyle said.

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