But in contrast to Kanjorski, neither Royce nor Frank has a serious challenge this year.

"It's going to be a tough race," Kanjorski told Credit Union Times. "In part, because he [Barletta] has developed a reputation as a white knight in dealing with immigration. Also, this is a reasonably priced market in television, radio and print, and the Republicans don't have many opportunities to gain seats this year." Kanjorski said his support for credit unions hasn't been a source of controversy in this or any of his reelection races.

Barletta's campaign did not return phone calls seeking comment on the race.

Political officials at CUNA and NAFCU, whose political action committees have given the maximum to Kanjorski's campaign, predicted that there would be a substantial increase in support from the credit union community as the election gets closer. Also, both groups could mobilize their members through get out the vote efforts and to distribute campaign literature generated by their PACs, depending on how tight the race looks in the fall.

Barletta, whose campaign has $321,880 in the bank, has received no contributions from PACs or individuals from the credit union industry.

The race has already received attention from the national committees of both parties. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already bought television advertising on Kanjorski's behalf.

Barletta, who has been mayor of Hazleton since 2000, developed a national reputation when he persuaded the city council to pass a series of ordinances barring illegal immigrants from working or renting homes. Though the measures inspired similar actions in other cities, they were struck down in federal court last year.

But Barletta has tried to broaden his appeal in the campaign and criticized Kanjorski for opposing the troop surge in Iraq (even though the congressman voted to authorize Bush to go war) and has highlighted his own efforts to increase manufacturing jobs in Hazleton, a city of 22,000, in a part of Pennsylvania that has struggled economically. He has also said that after 24 years of the same congressman, it is time for a change.

Kanjorski has focused on his ability to bring in large amounts of federal money to the district to encourage economic development. One such project generated adverse publicity when a company run by relatives of Kanjorski received $10 million in earmarks but went bankrupt.

Political analysts said Barletta's message of change could resonate even in a Democratic year in a district where Kanjorski won with 72% of the vote in 2006 and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry received 53% of the vote in 2004. Kanjorski's last close election was in 2002, when he defeated Barletta 56% to 44%.

"It's not that Kanjorski is not well liked, it's that voters may want to make a change," said Nathan
Gonzales, political editor of The Rothenberg Political Report, a Washington newsletter. "Barletta isn't your average challenger."

John Kebles, president/CEO of Choice FCU in Wilkes-Barre and a long-time friend of Kanjorski's, predicted the election won't be as close as some pundits have said.

"He continues to be attentive to the needs of everyone in the community, regardless of who they are," Kebles said of Kanjorski. "Barletta has gotten good national publicity because of immigration, but you can't use one issue to unseat a 24-year incumbent."

It's also unclear what impact the presidential election will have on Kanjorski's race. While likely Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is expected to win the district, he only received 25% of the vote in the Democratic primary against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). "There could be some negative response to Obama and that could discourage some people from turning out. It's not certain what effect that will have on my race," Kanjorski said.

Barletta is distancing himself from the national GOP. He did not attend a rally with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in Wilkes-Barre last month.

CUNA Senior Vice President Richard Gose said during elections in which voters demand change, even incumbents who have done a good job can be vulnerable.

"Lots of folks are caught in the cross hairs of the tide of change. Pennsylvania is a state that will sometimes opt for change in its congressional delegation. So this is a trend and a race we don't take lightly," he said.

Gose said CUNA hadn't decided what it would do to help Kanjorski beyond the campaign contributions.

In 2006, Democrats picked up four seats in the state's 19-member congressional delegation by defeating four GOP incumbents.

NAFCU Director of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler said his group would be "very active in [Kanjorski's] campaign. He's as good a friend as credit unions have had in Congress."

The House-passed bill that Kanjorski and Royce shepherded through--the Credit Union Bank and Thrift Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 6318)--grandfathers existing approvals of underserved areas and allows federal credit unions to apply to serve underserved areas outside their field of membership. Loans in those communities and to religious institutions would not count against their MBL cap. It would also permit credit unions to provide short-term unsecured loans to anyone in their field of membership. It is awaiting action in the Senate, though lobbyists doubt there are enough legislative days this year to pass.

Kanjorski, the No. 2 Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, is also the main sponsor of the more comprehensive regulatory relief measure for credit unions, the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act. That bill, which has 150 co-sponsors in the House and four in the Senate, raises the overall MBL cap. It also modernizes credit union capital requirements to include a risk-based asset approach. That measure probably won't be taken up until next year at the soonest.

The 71-year-old lawmaker said whether he returns to Congress will, in part, depend how much support he gets from his long-time allies, such as the credit unions.

"I've been there for them, and I look forward to their being there for me," he said.

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