If Todd Akin runs for the Senate and Ed Martin decides to run in the MO-02, he’d have to move if he wants to be able to vote for himself, since he lives in the southern part of the City of St. Louis (all of which is now in the MO-01). That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’d be viewed as a carpet-bagger with no ties to the disctrict, but Martin seems to be more of an old-school, blue-collar, urban conservative, not an affluent suburban conservative like most MO-02 voters, and combined with his recent arrival to the district may place him at a disadvantage in the GOP primary. I would love to have Ed Martin in Congress, but his greatest electoral strength (outperforming Republicans in blue-collar, urban areas) would not be much of an asset in the MO-02.
I was wondering whether former state representative Sherman Parker of St. Charles County, who challenged Akin in the 2008 GOP primary, would be running for the seat again if Akin ran for the Senate, but I see that he died at age 37 in 2008: http://www.shermanparker.org/
I think Parker turned out to be a RINO, and his ill-advised attempt to take on Akin ended his political career. Alas, it was quite unfortunate for him to pass away so young.
You’re probably right about Ed Martin’s blue-collar style, but he would have much higher name I.D. than anyone else and I’m sure that suburban conservative groups would have no problem with it.