is an intern at The Root and senior journalism major at Howard University.
Angela McGlowan
Mississippi's 1st district
After founding a conservative political consulting firm, McGlowan went on to analyze business and politics for Fox News.
In her own words: "President Barack Obama and San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi are implementing policies that are destroying our conservative Mississippi values. … No one will defend and promote our conservative Mississippi values more vigorously."
Chances of winning: Though media savvy, McGlowan will have a tough time running against state Sen. Allan Nunnelee in the primary.
Allen West
Florida's 22nd district
West is a retired Army-colonel-turned-high-school-teacher who, in 2005, flew to Afghanistan to advise the Afghan Army.
In his own words: "I do not support any division of Jerusalem. If I recall from history and the Old Testament, David, son of Israel, built Jerusalem, and his son, Solomon, made it great. The Muslim claims to Jerusalem are based upon a very contentious story concocted by Muhammad."
Chances of winning: Good. In his internal polls, West is beating the incumbent, Democrat Ron Klein, by two points.
Ryan Frazier
Colorado's 7th district
A former Raytheon consultant, Frazier entered politics at the age of 26, when he was elected to the city council in Aurora, Colo.
In his own words: "Experience with Medicare and Medicaid has taught us one valuable lesson about health care: If there is a way to mismanage it, the federal government has figured it out."
Chances of winning: Higher than most. It will be difficult to unseat the incumbent, Democrat Ed Perlmutter, but Frazier is currently leading the Republican challengers in fundraising.
Bill Hardiman
Michigan's 3rd district
Formerly the mayor of Kentwood, Mich., Hardiman has served as a state senator for the past eight years.
In his own words: "I'm running for Congress because I have a heart for service, and I am tired of watching Washington-style politics tear our great country apart."
Chances of winning: Hardiman's extensive political experience makes him a frontrunner for a seat being vacated by Rep. Vern Ehler.
Dr. Marion Thorpe
Florida
Thorpe is the former chief medical officer for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration. He now serves on the Broward County Medical Association board of advisers.
In his own words: "America was not built on a handout, nor a bailout. America was built by those brave souls who believed in the dream of self-reliance, self-respect and self-determination."
Chances of winning: Though Thorpe is a talented physician, his opponent, Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, is the odds-on favorite for the GOP Senate nomination.
Princella Smith
Arkansas' First District
The youngest black Republican running for Congress this year, at 26, Smith has already served as an intern for Mike Huckabee and as the communications director for Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.).
In her own words: "I support the Defense of Marriage Act and will be a relentless advocate of federal and state legislation that defines marriage as between a man and a woman."
Chances of winning: She has former boss Newt Gingrich's support. But "[t]he district she seeks to represent resides in a Southern state that has never elected a black person to a congressional or statewide office."
Bill Randall
North Carolina's 13th district
Upon retiring from a 27-year Naval career, Randall, a native of New Orleans, went back to school for an M.B.A.
In his own words: "I am not a political opportunist. I was at the forefront of rallies, Tea Parties and town hall meetings …during the dark days, when pundits said that conservatism is dead and the era of Reagan is over."
Chances of winning: With nearly 33 percent of the vote, Randall emerged from the primary as a dark horse candidate. He'll now face Ralph "Bernie" Reeves in a runoff election.
Tim Scott
South Carolina's 1st district
In addition to owning an insurance firm, he serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the only black Republican to do so since Reconstruction.
In his own words: "Across our country, people are uniting in defense of their liberties, as well as their wallets and pocketbooks. … They're demanding real change—not the sort of smoke and mirrors change we've seen from President Barack Obama."
Chances of winning: Several high-profile endorsements and a Berkeley County straw-poll victory have Scott looking like the man to beat.
Stephen Broden
Texas' 30th district
Besides his work as a senior pastor at the Fair Park Bible Fellowship, Broden is also a chief spokesperson for the black pro-life movement in Dallas' inner city.
In his own words: "The current health care proposal in Congress is unhealthy for America and is unconstitutional."
Chances of winning: With strong support from the Tea Party, Broden handily defeated his opponents in the primary, with 67 percent of the vote. But he's yet to face Democratic incumbent Eddie Bernice Johnson.
David Castillo
Washington, 3rd district
Castillo is a private financial adviser. He also served as chief of staff to the House Republican Caucus.
In his own words: "When elected, I will continue to work to uphold and promote the traditional American values of liberty, self-reliance and individual responsibility that have made America that shining city on the hill."
Chances of winning: Though several prominent Republicans have endorsed his main opponent, state Rep. Jaime Herrera, Castillo remains a force to be reckoned with due to the support of the religious right and the Tea Party.
Charles Lollar
Maryland's 5th district
A Marine reservist and facility services corporation manager, Lollar is also an outspoken advocate of the Tea Party movement.
In his own words: "Small business owners are responsible for the creation of three out of every four new jobs in America. If government were truly interested in the creation of new jobs, it would leave the work to the real experts and get out of their way."
Chances of winning: Lollar, who recently solicited money from donors at a Maryland bar decorated with a Confederate flag, is fighting an uphill battle against House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
Corrogan Vaughn
Maryland
After losing his middle-management job at US Airways following 9/11, Vaughn started a limousine company and a female clothing line, Vaughn Wear. He's also a deacon at his church.
In his own words: "Obama didn't realize something when he pushed for ‘change' last year: Change today is not taking away liberties. Sadly, that's been happening for the last century."
Chances of winning: Vaughn has lost primary runs for U.S. Senate in 2000, 2004 and 2006. This year, it's likely he'll continue that streak.
Les Phillip
Alabama's 5th district
In his own words: "If elected to Congress, I will vigorously defend freedom of enterprise, fight for your right to bear arms and promote a limited role of the Federal government in your life."
Chance of winning: According to pollsters, he's got a better shot than most. Still, Phillip's rival "Parker Griffith received the unanimous endorsement of his Republican colleagues in the Alabama Congressional delegation."
Vernon Parker
Arizona's 3rd district
After serving in the Department of Agriculture under the most recent Bush administration, Parker moved to Arizona, where he's now the mayor of the affluent suburb Paradise Valley.
In his own words: "I find it incomprehensible that our borders remain unsecured, but all travelers have to take their shoes off to fly on an airplane."
Chances of winning: Parker can win, but it won't be easy. His lead competitor is Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle. Ben has already outraised his opponents by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Virginia Fuller
California's 7th district
An immigrant from the Netherlands who has lived in California for more than three decades, Fuller is a retired nurse.
In her own words: "Our public schools should not serve as a breeding ground where ultra-liberal teachers have a carte blanche to brainwash our children against our family values and morals and against our will."
Chance of winning: In California's Bay Area, conservative candidates have a rough go of it—especially Fuller, who was trounced even before getting out of 2008's primaries.
Star Parker
California's 37th district
Founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and author of Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It, Parker is now a frequent guest on Fox News.
In her own words: "So the question today before us: Are we going to be a free nation under God? Or are we going to be a welfare state?"
Chance of winning: Embroiled incumbent Laura Richardson might lose her seat, but probably not to Parker, a "reluctant politician."
Chrystopher Smith
California's 39th district
An IT consultant by day, Smith says he comes from a "successful history of ‘no excuses' bootstrap black entrepreneurs."
In his own words: "I am not running because I feel entitled.I am running because I must."
Chance of winning: Democratic incumbent Linda Sanchez won this seat in 2008 with nearly 70 percent of the vote. Odds are she's not going anywhere.
C. Mason Weaver
California's 53rd district
A former government contract negotiator, Weaver is now a pundit, conservative talk radio host and the author of It's OK to Leave the Plantation.
In his own words: "The suggestion that black people need a leader is based on the plantation mentality of many in the news media. We are not a tribe; we don't have a ‘chief.' We are a diverse community."
Chances of winning: Amid accusations of poor campaigning and outright lies, Weaver's campaign seems to be over already.
Eddie Adams, Jr.
Florida's 11th district
After graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in microbiology, Adams became a lab tech. Eventually, he'd return to school to get his master's in architecture.
In his own words: "I am pro-life. I want to reinforce the Second Amendment, humanely seal the borders and strengthen the controls on illegal immigration."
Chances of winning: Adams has already lost two congressional races to Democrat Kathy Castor, who, in 2008, beat him by more than 40 points.
Deon Long
Florida's 24th district
A father of three, Long is also a practicing attorney in Winter Park, Fla.
In his own words: "In conjunction with the adoption of the Fair Tax, [I advocate] an elimination of the income tax, payroll tax, capital gains tax and estate tax."
Chance of winning: Long is well behind his opponents in both support and finances in a crowded Republican primary.
Cory Ruth
Georgia's 4th district
Besides being a hopeful politician, Ruth is an information security consultant, an ordained minister and a columnist for Atlanta Christian Family magazine.
In his own words: "I'm just a guy who is dissatisfied with his government … not dissatisfied with our system of government, but with those who we have lately sent to run our government."
Chances of winning: Slim. In addition to a few tough Republican opponents, Ruth is facing down Democratic incumbent Hank Johnson.
Dr. Deborah Honeycutt
Georgia's 13th district
Until deciding to run for office, Honeycutt, a physician, was the medical director of a free clinic in Morrow, Ga.
In her own words: "Today, 68 percent of African-American children are born into a single-parent family. I see a lot of break down of families in general because the importance of strong families has diminished."
Chances of winning: Honeycutt's inexperience is her main liability in a packed six-candidate race.
Rupert Parchment
Georgia's 13th district
Parchment owns a moving business with his wife, an interior designer.
In his own words: "Our country is replete with examples of how we can easily get out of fiscal hardship. … The solution is a drastic reduction or overhaul of our existing tax code that benefits all Americans."
Chances of winning: As it does with his opponent, Deborah Honeycutt, inexperience hinders Parchment.
Isaac Hayes
Illinois' 2nd district
Formerly a mortgage broker, Hayes is now a full-time youth minister.
In his own words: "We must increase job opportunities for all of our communities, irrespective of race, but we cannot overlook the need to create jobs in poorer communities that allow people to move from welfare to work, from employees to employers and from criminals to contributors."
Chances of winning: Low. Despite Hayes' famous name, his Democratic opponent has a name even more suited for office: Jesse Jackson Jr.
Marvin Scott
Indiana's 7th district
Scott has been a sociology professor at Butler University for nearly two decades.
In his own words: "Many of you have asked, 'How can I assist our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq?' One answer is to stand behind them as they carry the fight to the drug lords of those countries."
Chances of winning: Scott lost a Senate race against Evan Bayh in 2004. This year, it's unlikely he'll unseat André Carson, who replaced his grandmother, Rep. Julia Carson.
Robert Broadus
Maryland's 4th district
After retiring from the Navy, Broadus became a software developer and, more recently, a Tea Party member.
In his own words: "I will … work to de-fund government agencies that are unnecessary, wasteful or which violate the U.S. Constitution (to include the Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, etc)."
Chances of winning: Though he's an interesting candidate, Broadus' chances are almost nil.
Barb Davis White
Minnesota's 5th district
Both a minister and mortician by trade, White, an avid Tea Partier, is now out to be a congresswoman.
In her own words: "Rosa Parks did not move to the front of the bus to support sodomy. … Allowing a black woman and a white man to marry does not change the definition of marriage. However, allowing two men or two women to marry would fundamentally change that definition."
Chances of winning: In a Democratic stronghold, White is not a candidate to watch.
Martin Baker
Missouri's 1st district
Once a political science major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Baker has made a career of political consulting in both Utah and Missouri.
In his own words: Baker seeks to "limit the judicial review power of the Supreme Court by establishing a legislative veto over court decisions not dissimilar to the congressional override authority of a presidential veto."
Chances of winning: Baker, who lost a 2008 congressional run in District 5, is now aiming for well-liked incumbent Democrat Lacy Clay's seat
Michael Faulkner
New York's 15th district
After playing one season with the New York Jets, Faulkner became a pastor, with ties to Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.
In his own words: "My opponent is 40-year incumbent Charles Rangel. Unfortunately, Mr. Rangel has come to epitomize what is wrong with Washington today. His gross underpayment of federal income taxes while chairing the House Ways and Means Committee shows the hypocrisy of our Congress."
Chances of winning: The much-beloved congressional veteran Charlie Rangel is going to be supremely difficult to defeat.
Jerry Grimes
North Carolina's 1st district
A onetime film student, Grimes has used religious movies as a way to attract young people to his Baptist ministry.
In his own words: "I'm not an African American, because Africa is a continent. I have a national identity, though: I am an American. I was born here."
Chances of winning: Despite lots of Tea Party support, Grimes lost the Republican primary by 17 points to Ashley Woods. A minor porn scandal didn't help his efforts.
Lou Huddleston
North Carolina's 8th district
After 31 years in the Army, Huddleston retired as a colonel and went into communications consulting.
In his own words: "I am often asked how can I win? The Democrats control everything and [Larry] Kissell will have the full support of the Democrat machine out of Washington. My answer is simple: common sense."
Chances of winning: Even with a lot of good media buzz and the endorsement of the Charlotte Observer, Huddleston was crushed in the primaries, earning less than 4 percent of the vote.
Jean Howard-Hill
Tennessee's 3rd district
A political science professor and an ordained minister, "Lady J" is also the chairwoman and founder of the "Pull Up Your Pants and Dress for Success" campaign.
In her own words: On the Tea Party: "[A]ny movement which cannot openly denounce racism, calling it out as wrong, troubles me. … To attack President Obama on his policy is one thing, but to do so on his race or some hysterical pretext of socialism is yet another."
Chances of winning: At press time, Howard-Hill's website had been down for at least three days—not a good sign.
Charlotte Bergmann
Tennessee's 9th district
The daughter of a Baptist minister, Bergmann heads up a marketing firm in Memphis.
In her own words: "No business is too big to fail. If a company that is providing a necessary service fails, some other private investor who knows how to run a business will buy it and make it profitable."
Chances of winning: Bergmann was handpicked by Tea Party leaders to run against incumbent Democrat Steve Cohen. Those ties will do her no favors in Tennessee's only majority-black district.
Chuck Smith
Virginia's 3rd district
After a stint as an infantry Marine, Smith earned his law degree and went on to work as a Naval JAG attorney for 29 years before retiring.
In his own words: "We are not Americans by accident, for every day we live is on purpose to remind us that Old Glory, the American flag, and the American spirit all still wave and live in each of us, and in our children."
Chances of winning: Even if he wins the GOP primary, Smith will find a tough opponent in popular Democratic incumbent Bobby Scott
Larry Linney
North Carolina
Once a Duke basketball player and a successful attorney, Linney was disbarred after being convicted of embezzlement and perjury.
In his own words: "The final version of the health care bill passed by the Senate consisted of over 2,500 pages. Even upon study, reflection and meditation, I would have voted no."
Chances of winning: That train has left the station. Linney already lost in the May 4 primary to Richard Burr.