Dynastic Desires

[[C A M P A I G N S]] * Political ambition just seems to run in some families--which explains why the United States is now suffering through its second Bush presidency in 16 years, and why Rhode Island still has a U.S. senator named Chafee. However, a trio of races shaping up for 2006 suggest that for office seekers, one’s relatives can sometimes be as important as any other qualification. In Nevada, Democrat Jack Carter, the oldest child of former President Jimmy Carter, announced on Tuesday that he intends to run against incumbent Republican John Ensign for Nevada’s junior U.S. Senate next year. In neighboring Arizona, Don Goldwater, nephew of the late U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, is hoping to replace Democratic incumbent Janet Napolitano as governor. And in New York, Republican Edward Cox, son-in-law of the late President Richard Nixon, is challenging Westchester County District Attorney Jeanne Pirro for the opportunity to face first-term incumbent Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in what is expected to be an expensive 2006 campaign.