Chris Paige, an attorney and hedge fund manager in Skytop, has decided to run in the 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Paul Kanjorski faces a primary challenge from Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien. And U.S. Attorney Mary Buchanan is said to be seriously considering a challenge to incumbent sophomore Jason Altmire in the 4th District.

This comes after Altmire and fellow Democratic incumbent Patrick Murphy recently got their first Republican opponents for next year.

Paige, the first Republican to formally challenge Kanjorski, said the financial bailouts had spurred his candidacy.

“The bailouts are outrageous,” he said in an interview. “I think they’re unconstitutional and they’re bad policy.”

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who has lost to Kanjorski twice, including last year, is still considering a run, according to Republican insiders. But Paige said he would be a better candidate.

“I think the public has decided to get rid of Kanjorski, they just saw Barletta as an unacceptable alternative,” Paige said. “Had it been someone else, we would have won last year.”

Buchanan, who The Post-Gazette reported was mulling a run against Altmire last week, would seem to be the first politically potent challenger to Altmire this cycle if she ultimately decides to run.