Two Republican newcomers are all that stand between Rep. Mike Thompson and an eighth straight term in Congress.

Thompson, a Democrat from St. Helena who has never lost an election, has more than $1.2 million in campaign cash.

His opponents in the June 5 primary ? Stewart John Cilley of Rohnert Park and Randy Loftin of Napa ? have less than $10,000 between them.

Democrats dominate the new 5th Congressional District, which includes Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati and Sonoma Valley, with 52 percent of registered voters, compared with 22 percent Republicans.

?I'm a real longshot, I know that,? said Loftin, 69, a tax and financial adviser who loaned his campaign $5,000.

?More than a longshot,? said Cilley, 52, an accountant and member of the Sonoma County Republican Central Committee who said he is under the $5,000 threshold for filing a campaign finance report.

Thompson, 61, who is undefeated in 10 elections since 1990, serving two terms in the state Senate and seven in Congress, said, ?your contributions reflect the support you have in your district.?

Thompson reported $343,686 in donations from individuals and $581,264 from committees representing scores of business and labor groups through March 31.

He serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, known as a ?juice committee? for the donations that flow to members.

Thompson said he will spend ?whatever I need to get re-elected,? but did not cite an amount.

Thompson's seniority on Capitol Hill is valuable, and he is a ?rising star? among House Democrats, said Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and former Republican Party policy analyst.

But his impact is blunted, Pitney said, by Republican control of the House and Thompson's membership in the Blue Dogs, a coalition of moderate to conservative Democrats.

?If you are in the minority, you're not going to do much legislating,?

In the North Coast's congressional race, it all comes down to second place.

The June 5 primary election will narrow the field of 12 candidates down to two finalists, who will compete in November for the $174,000-a-year job awarded by about 400,000 registered voters from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman of San Rafael is considered the favorite based on his $865,000 in campaign funding, 800-plus endorsements and name recognition after six years in the Legislature, securing approval of more than 60 bills.

A feisty competition for second place pits Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams, businesswoman and political newcomer Stacey Lawson and activist/author Norman Solomon.

The other eight ? four more Democrats, two Republicans and two candidates with no party preference ? are long shots, their chances diminished by lack of funding, obscurity and Democrat domination of the district.

A series of candidate forums established little difference among the Democratic contenders on issues such as Afghanistan, health care and the environment.