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ANGOLA — U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Fort Wayne, looks like he will be getting another challenger for the Republican Party’s nomination for Indiana’s 3rd District seat in Congress.
Phil Troyer, a LaGrange County native and former staffer to Sens. Richard Lugar and Dan Coats plans to hold press conferences on Tuesday in Fort Wayne and Goshen to announce his candidacy.
Troyer, of Fort Wayne ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in 1992 in the former 4th District when he was in college. He currently is an attorney with a financial services company.
One political Web site, The Hotline, which is part of The National Journal, indicated that conservative forces were lining up behind Troyer in a bid to unseat Souder, who has held the office as either the 4th or 3rd District since 1995 after he defeated U.S. Rep. Jill Long in 1994.
According to Congressional Quarterly, Souder is among four House Republicans likely to face primary opponents drawing strength from the “tea party” movement and its fervent opposition to anything that might trigger higher taxes or bigger government.
Troyer seems to fit that mold, as does the other candidate to announce for the Republican nomination, Rachel Grubb, Auburn, a supervisor for Group Dekko in Rome City. She announced her candidacy in July.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Tom Hayhurst, Fort Wayne, who unsuccessfully challenged Souder in 2006, has said he will seek his party’s nomination.
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