Rep. Young says he’s running again

Just when we thought the election season had given us a short break, along comes Don Young with his announcement that he will run for the House again.

That’s hardly surprising, but it seems like we should be able to enjoy the rest of summer without thinking about who is running for what office in 2010.

Obviously it’s a strategic move on his part. That gives him more time to fill his war chest and gives notice to any prospective opponents — Republicans or anyone else — that the race is on and it won’t be pretty.

This time around, though, he has a chink in the armor, having been investigated for his association with a man convicted of bribery.

Not that most Alaskans care about that. Ted Stevens was nearly elected as a convicted felon. Had the information about prosecutorial negligence been made known a month or two ahead of the election, Ted Stevens would be our senator once again at nearly 90 years of age.

For more proof of our odd voting history, Alaskans elected Nick Begich to the House in 1972 and he was dead.

So Young has an edge that’s hard to beat. He’s an institution since he won a special election in 1973.

For some voters, he’s an automatic. They know who he is, know what he stands for and he has the kind of independent attitude that many Alaskans like to see in Washington, D.C.

He has a lot of clout in the Interior and a great deal of support in Southcentral, the two largest voting blocs in the state. Being married to a Native also gives him credence among that group.

And people who back candidates with money like to spend on winners. After some 25 years in the House, those people like their odds, so cash won’t be a problem this time around.

Those are a lot of hurdles to jump over for the people who would like to unseat him.

People who have lived here for any length of time know Don Young likes a scrap.

By announcing this time of year, more than a year until the primary votes are counted, Rep. Young is spitting on his fists.

It’s going to be real interesting to see who steps into the ring and dukes it out with a man — according to legend — who once tripped the jaws of a steel trap on his hand to make a point.