John Murtha faces opposition in 2008; Bill Russell

In 2008, John Murtha faces opposition from Bill Russell in the race for Pennsylvania's 12th District.


Pennsylvania's 12th District



Russell is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. Russell and his then-pregnant wife were working in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 as Flight 77 hit the building. The Russells and their unborn son all survived. Russell has since served in Iraq. He now resides in Johnstown.

Lt. Colonel William T. Russell (USAR)












Russell's website contains a lot of relevant information related to issues.

Murtha's opponent from 2006, Diana Irey, has apparently decided not to run this year. The 2006 campaign, while unsuccessful, posed the first serious challenge to Murtha in quite some time.

We often talk about coattail effects from a strong Presidential candidate upon local races. In this case, the reverse might be true. A strong congressional challenge could help Republicans in the Pennsylvania presidential race. Even if Russell does not win, an issue oriented battle might spark enough enthusiasm to help the Republican presidential candidate.