I have a theory when it comes to competition. Namely, it's good. It's healthy. And in Congress, where incumbents generally get reelected at an astounding rate, it's vital — although, unfortunately, woefully lacking.

So I was happy to see recently that U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., has gained a Republican opponent in his 2006 reelection campaign, something that he desperately needs.

It's not that I consider Mr. Kohl to be a bad person. I certainly do not. He kept the Milwaukee Bucks in the state, for instance.

It's just that Mr. Kohl set his Senate office on cruise control long ago, and Wisconsin could really use somebody who would bring fresh ideas and policy objectives to Washington on behalf of the state's citizens. I'm thinking of somebody like U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, an up-and-coming conservative from Janesville, who has been touted as a potential Kohl challenger. Mr. Ryan has done some nice things in Congress, including being a leader in trying to save Social Security from the perilous path it is traveling — even though that effort ultimately faltered last year.

Of course, Mr. Ryan made no campaign announcement in the past weeks. Rather, the new challenger to enter the fray against Mr. Kohl was — to my chagrin — California transplant Dave Redick.

Wow, Dave Redick. Never heard of him? Me neither. But thanks to his campaign website, I do know that he has run for elected office in the Golden State a handful of times in the last 30 years, even garnering a "personal letter of support" from Ronald Reagan along the way. I also know that Mr. Redick lost all of those forays into politics. And I know that he kind of looks like former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, or at least he would if he grew a big white mustache.

In other words, a major player Mr. Redick is not. He certainly has no chance of enjoying the level of popularity and support from Republican voters that Mr. Ryan would benefit from if he ran.

Heck, given his non-Wisconsin roots, lack of experience and unconventional policy stances, Dave Redick might as well be Duke shooting guard J.J. Redick. They'd enjoy the same level of popularity, which for those of you who aren't college basketball fans, is not particularly much.

And what's sad is that Dave Redick, at least today, stands as good of a chance as anyone to win the Republican nomination. As a result, Kohl is all but guaranteed another six years to lounge around the nation's capital.

I'm left to ponder this: Why is it that Wisconsin's other senator, Russ Feingold, regularly suffers from no shortage of opponents — from seasoned politicians to used-car salesmen — while Mr. Kohl waltzes past one political hack after another en route to easy electoral victories?

It certainly can't be because of campaigning abilities. Mr. Feingold comes up with clever commercials, debates very well and delivers a stump speech that captivates the entire audience. Mr. Kohl's speeches, meanwhile, are about as enthralling as the bagger who asks "paper or plastic" at one of his namesake's grocery stores.

If one casts the small ideological differences between the two aside, then it can't be because of legislative accomplishments, either. Mr. Feingold authored landmark campaign finance legislation a couple years back, has been a strong deficit hawk and has taken numerous bold stances — remember that first Patriot Act vote? Mr. Kohl's legislative resume, on the other hand, is about as empty as the Bradley Center on an average night.

So it comes down to one thing: money. Mr. Kohl, one of the wealthiest senators, has it. Mr. Feingold, one of the least wealthy senators, does not.

Granted, Mr. Kohl has used that money to some worthy ends. He funds his campaigns by himself, rejecting donations from outside interest groups, which has led to his "nobody's senator but yours" slogan. In a city sinking under the weight of Jack Abramoff's money, it's a nice thought.

Mr. Kohl's philanthropy also has made him popular with the electorate. Apparently he funded some sort of sports complex on campus — perhaps you've noticed it.

But I'd like to think somebody deserves a Senate seat for more than an affluent background. I'd like to think a senator earns the seat because he or she reflects the values of his or her constituents — and then acts upon those values in Washington.

Sadly, a look at the roster in Congress reveals personal wealth to be an increasingly important requisite to holding a seat.

Mr. Feingold stands as a shining anomaly to this trend. And given that his ascension to the Senate was based on pure effort and political moxie — as opposed to deep campaign coffers — it is not a surprise he has proven to be a far more effective legislator than his senior counterpart.

So I offer this challenge to the Republican Party of Wisconsin: find a legitimate candidate to challenge Mr. Kohl. I realize Mr. Ryan may not wish to risk his promising political career this year on a campaign in which he would be considered an underdog, and that's understandable. He'll definitely be ready for primetime in 2012.

But please find someone other than Dave Redick. Make it a remotely competitive race. Because Wisconsin deserves far more bang than it's getting for Mr. Kohl's buck.

Ryan Masse ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and economics.