Republican voters in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes eastern Lawrence and Douglas County, today will choose among four candidates vying to challenge incumbent Congressman Dennis Moore.

The four have not had an easy time raising money, according to recent fundraising reports, and most political analysts say the primary winner will have difficulty beating Moore, a Democrat who has withstood successive challenges from better-financed, better-known Republicans.

The GOP candidates are:

¢ Chuck Ahner, a loan company executive from Overland Park. Ahner, 40, is a West Point graduate with a master’s degree in business administration from Boston University. He is married with four children. Ahner says he wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, rein in government spending and keep the military strong. He has been endorsed by former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.

¢ State Rep. Scott Schwab grew up in Great Bend and lives in Olathe. The medical marketing consultant graduated from Fort Hays State University. He is married with two children. Schwab, 34, was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2002. He favors balancing the budget, promoting economic development and staying the course in the war on terror. He opposes amnesty for illegal aliens.

¢ Disability rights activist Thomas Scherer of Merriam is a single parent. He has a master’s degree in computer resources management. Scherer, 52, disavows political labels but says he is “generally classified as a progressive Democratic, with some political ideology linked to conservative Republicans.” In 2004-2005, he was a member of the Kansas Democratic Party’s Disability Caucus.

¢ Retired construction worker Paul Showen of Shawnee supports “complete separation between church and state.” He also advocates for a 10 percent flat income tax. Showen, 57, is married and an Air Force veteran.