OK-Sen: Andrew Rice To Run

Oklahoma State Senator Andrew Rice, a 34 year old progressive freshman legislator from Oklahoma City whom national Democrats and the netroots have been trying to lure into next year's Senate race against Jim Inhofe has apparently decided to run.

Rice sent this letter to this follows;

Dear Friends,
While I have deliberated during these past few months, I have also encouraged other, more widely-known Democrats to take up the challenge. To date, none has done so. I have also thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of running with my wife Apple and my family.
Today, I want you to know that I have decided to run and that I intend to win!
I want you to be assured that I will not have to vacate my State Senate seat in order to run and I will continue to make myself accessible and accountable to my constituents in Senate District 46.
I believe Oklahomans deserve a choice for U.S. Senate in 2008.
Washington is paralyzed by partisan bickering, and Jim Inhofe may be one of the most partisan Senators of all. He even boasts of being the "most conservative" Senator. In contrast, as a member in the evenly divided Oklahoma Senate, I have proven that I can work with both Republicans and Democrats to get results for our state.
Divisive politics is harming our country. That’s not my style. I have already met many Oklahomans from across the state. They tell me that Washington no longer listens to them.
This will be a tough and expensive race. In fact, I will need to raise several million dollars just to compete against Inhofe and the National Republicans who will stop at nothing to help him extend his 40-year career in elective politics.
I hope I can depend on your help. The maximum, individual contribution that I can accept permelection is $2300. To those of you who want to give, I am grateful for the most you can do. I assure you, I will need every penny.
You can send checks to:

Andrew Rice for U.S. Senate
P.O. Box 1027
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Please print out the attached contributor’s statement and send it along with your contribution. I will be able to accept online contributions very soon. Thank you for your consideration and please know that if you agree to take this journey with me, I will not disappoint you.

Sincerely,
State Sen. Andrew Rice

Rice is running against a super right-wing Senator. Inhofe has described global warming "as the second biggest hoax ever played on the American people after seperation of church and state" and once proudly displayed a picture of his family and boasted that none of them were gay. He once described the outrage over Abu Gihrab as more shocking than the torture itself. He lists the Bible as the main reason for his political positions.

Rice has an uphill battle against Inhofe, but the young good looking all-American progressive vs. the old crazy Leave It to Beaver conservative has produced results for the Democrats before (see Montana)

Many Democrats describe Rice as 2008's Jon Tester or Jim Webb and pehaps no Senator up for reelection is more capable of a "Macaca moment" than Jim Inhofe.