Tim Walberg

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett is stilling vying to be the Republican ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee -- a position which can hinge on how well your campaign war chest is doing.

So, how's it going?

Republican political consultant Tom Blakely, who led the media campaign for First District Republican nominee Andy Harris, died this morning after collapsing during a 5k run in Bordentown, New Jersey. He was 48.

Blakely was the President of Jamestown Associates, a New Jersey-based GOP consulting firm. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he served as an aide to Rep. Dick Zimmer and was Campaign Manager of Zimmer’s 1996 U.S. Senate bid against Robert Torricelli. He also ran local County Executive campaigns for James Treffinger and Robert Prunetti, and was Director of Appointments for Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. In 2006, he consulted for Tim Walberg's Republican primary victory over Michigan incumbent Rep. Joe Schwarz.

Jamestown just directed Andy Harris’ successful GOP primary campaign against Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland, and is working for New Jersey GOP House candidate Leonard Lance.

In an e-mail, Harris campaign manager Chris Meekins said, “We are extremely saddened by his passing and we feel sorry for his wife and young child.”