Republican Activist to Challenge John Barrow

Savannah Morning News: Savannah Republican activist Jeanne Seaver has launched a bid for the GOP nomination next year in the 12th Congressional District.

Seaver is the third Republican to seek the seat, held by third-term Savannah Democratic Rep. John Barrow.

Thunderbolt Fire Chief Carl Smith and Wayne Mosley, a Vidalia doctor, have already said they're running.

Long active in the local party, Seaver recently has taken a high profile in opposing Democrats on health care, taxes and energy.

"What has pushed me to run more than anything else is our Congress' deaf ear," Seaver said. "We, the people, can't speak much louder than we have over the past several months.

She said Barrow is "out of touch with his constituents" because he didn't hold a Savannah town hall forum on health care during a recent congressional recess.

The Seaver file Age: 52 Education: Graduated from Lake Worth (Fla.) High School Occupation: Businesswoman Political experience: Active in local Republican campaigns, Chatham County GOP Volunteer of the Year in 2008; leader in the local anti-tax Tea Party movement; co-founder of the National Right of Communities Association, which opposes the major Democratic health care proposals. Top issues: Solutions to health care and energy problems that emphasize individual choice, more competition and free enterprise approaches; supports the Fair Tax, which would replace the income and most other federal taxes with a national sales tax.