Duke . . . of the 137th?

Self-described "independent conservative" Reggie Duke has announced his candidacy for the #137th House district against Democrat Charlie Norr.

Duke already has a snazzy website set-up, and in his introduction he says, "Missouri needs a voice that is a thorn in the side of complacency."

"A voice that stands out and isn't afraid to go against the establishment," Duke goes on.

A member of James Rive Assembly, Duke's bio says he has worked for T-Mobile USA since college and is now the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the Division of Publication.

ON EDUCATION, Duke seems open to school vouchers:

"When tax dollars are concerned, I support you having the right to use your school taxes towards the best choice for your child. This includes public, private, and home schooling," he writes.

ON HEALTHCARE, he wants to focus on reducing costs before expanding coverage:

"I believe that before we can even talk about covering people with healthcare, we first need to aggressively find ways to reduce costs," he writes.

While not mentioned explicitly on his website, Duke tells The Notebook he's running as a Republican. "I contemplated running as an independent for awhile, but I will try the Republican way first," he said.

Other potential Republican candidates exploring the #137th: Lisa Leach has formed an exploratory committee and former Springfield City Council candidate Fred Ellison is also said to be looking at the race.

Norr is expected to seek his third term in 2010.