▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁Russell ▁Re ed ▁Bened ict . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁previously ▁successful ▁con gression al ▁write - in ▁candidates ▁were ▁U . S . ▁Rep . ▁Joe ▁S ke en ▁( R - New ▁Mexico ▁ 2 d ▁Dist .) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁Sen . ▁St rom ▁Th ur mond ▁( R - S . ▁Carolina ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁Sub sequently , ▁Al ask an ▁Republican ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Lisa ▁Mur kow ski ▁lost ▁her ▁party ▁primary ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁but ▁w aged ▁a ▁successful ▁write - in ▁campaign ▁against ▁Joe ▁Miller , ▁the ▁Republican ▁primary ▁winner ▁and ▁narrow ly ▁defeated ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election . ▁Upon ▁being ▁sw orn ▁in , ▁Pack ard ▁joined ▁the ▁Republican ▁c au cus . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁eight ▁times ▁with ▁little ▁opposition ▁in ▁the ▁heavily ▁Republican ▁district . ▁ ▁Pack ard ' s ▁con gression al ▁career ▁included ▁membership ▁on ▁the ▁House ▁App ropri ations ▁Committee . ▁Pack ard ▁served ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁nine ▁terms ▁and ▁then ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁House ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁spend ▁time ▁with ▁his ▁family . ▁In ▁Congress ▁he ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁def ic it ▁ha w k , ▁a ▁critic ▁of ▁legisl ative ▁" p ork ", ▁and ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁illegal ▁imm igration . ▁He ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Republican ▁Dar rell