SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Turns out, rumors of Kevin Mannix's political demise may have been greatly exaggerated.

Less than two years ago, a downcast Mannix said he had no plans to seek public office again after Republican voters rejected his bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and chose rival Ron Saxton for the 2006 governor's race.

But now he's back in a big way and basking in the spotlight, weighing a possible run for Oregon attorney general or for a congressional seat, while bargaining with state lawmakers over legislation on criminal sentences for drug dealing and property crime.

Mannix found himself back in the thick of things with last week's bombshell announcement from Democratic U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley that she won't seek re-election.

It was a development that could give Mannix a shot at winning public office again after several defeats in races for statewide office.

"There are a lot of people calling and encouraging me to run," said Mannix, a former state lawmaker who has demonstrated an ability over the years to stir the pot on crime and social issues.

Mannix makes it clear he is intrigued by the possibility of running for Hooley's congressional seat in a district where Republicans have a slight voter registration edge over Democrats, supporting President Bush over John Kerry in 2004 by a narrow margin.

"It's a short-fuse situation," he said, referring to the state's March 11 candidate filing deadline, "but there is certainly still time to do what needs to be done" to get a campaign up and running.

Republican businessman Mike Erickson, who spent $1.6 million of his own money in an unsuccessful bid to defeat Hooley two years ago, is running again this year. Several other Republicans are looking at jumping into the race, as are several Democrats.

Political analyst Jim Moore said Mannix has the most name recognition among the Republicans, mainly because of his runs for office and his sponsorship of various get-tough-on-crime initiatives.

"Mannix would have a head start, simply because people know who he is," Moore said. "No matter what, Mannix seems to keep coming back, shifting venues from running for elective office, to sponsoring initiatives, then back again."

Behind-the-scenes negotiations are going on with state lawmakers on whether Mannix might agree to support a less stringent version of his initiative to toughen penalties for drug dealing, property crime and identity theft.

Mannix already has turned in nearly 150,000 petition signatures - well above the number needed - to qualify his new initiative for the November ballot.

But lawmakers and Gov. Ted Kulongoski are worried about the $200 million-a-year price tag on Mannix's measure. They are trying to get him to endorse a less costly approach to raise sentences, but not be so quick to throw first-time offenders in jail.

While talks are under way, the political parties and interest groups are taking a close look at the 5th District congressional race and assessing the potential candidacies of Mannix and other contenders.

Veteran lobbyist Maura Roche, who's worked to promote women's rights and abortion rights, has clashed on many occasions with the socially conservative Mannix, who opposes abortion.

"He is very smart and very tenacious. We cannot afford to underestimate him," Roche said.

Jim Edmunson, a former state representative and former Oregon Democratic Party chairman, served in the Oregon House with Mannix and said that while he disagrees with Mannix on issues, he has a healthy respect for Mannix's political abilities.

Edmunson said Mannix's close association with reclusive Nevada businessman Loren Parks, who has poured large amounts of money into Mannix's initiative campaigns, could be a problem.

"Federal campaign finance laws limit the ability of congressional candidates to rely on a few large donors," Edmunson said. "So Mannix will have to convince people that he can be a winner and raise money from lots of individual donors."

At the same time, the former Eugene lawmaker said he thinks Mannix could be a formidable candidate.

"He is very smart, very tough," Edmunson said. "The Democrats had better take him seriously if he is a candidate in this race." 

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)