Welcome to the nonstop congressional campaign.

Nineteen months before the next primary election, and 22 months before the next general election, Republican Adam Taff says he is the front-runner in the 3rd Congressional District race.

Taff issued a news release earlier this week that said, “Adam Taff takes early lead in 2004 race.”

Last August, Taff defeated Jeff Colyer 40,609 to 37,771 to become the GOP nominee in the district that includes the Kansas City metropolitan area and east Lawrence.

But in November, Taff, a former Navy pilot, was defeated in his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore. Taff lost by about 7,200 votes out of 218,000 votes cast.

Taff said his lead in the 2004 race was on the basis of a campaign finance report for the period ending Dec. 31 that showed he had $153,000 on hand for a second attempt at Moore.

Moore’s campaign finance report was not completed yet, his spokesman Jack Martin said. The report is due Jan. 31.

But Martin said Taff didn’t mention in his news release that the Republican also was carrying $126,000 in debt.

Taff, however, said most of that debt was based on a personal loan he made to his campaign. Because he is owed the money, Taff said, he is more than willing to keep that debt outstanding so that he can use his cash on hand to campaign.

Taff’s campaign salvo so long before the 2004 election season shows how competitive the 3rd District is, said Burdett Loomis, a Kansas University political science professor.

“There are about 30 competitive congressional seats across the country. Republicans have to see Moore’s seat as a real opportunity,” Loomis said.

Taff is unapologetic about his campaigning.

“Dennis Moore is out there raising money. Unless I want to give him a free pass, I can’t wait,” he said.

But Moore’s spokesman Martin said, “Congressman Moore is busy with his full-time job, which is serving in Congress. Taff’s full-time job seems to be running for Congress.”