U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler is again playing in the Congress vs. Capitol Police football game, which raises money for families of three officers killed in the line of duty.

Shuler’s office notes that he formerly played quarterback for the University of Tennessee, Barb Barrett reports.

In its release, the office declines to mention his short-lived stint with the Washington Redskins (who this year are an abysmal 2-4). It also fails to re-live a past Congress vs. Capitol Police game in which Shuler threw a pair of interceptions. The bi-partisan congressional team lost that one.

Still, he’s on again for the game scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 27. The game, called The Longest Yard, is flag football and will be played at the DC Armory.

"The Capitol police do have bragging rights since they won the last game," said Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, in a release. "No matter the final score of this game, the Capitol Police Memorial Fund wins."

Sen. Richard Burr will have a new spokesman next week.

Chris Walker, who has served as press secretary since late 2007, is leaving to work as communications director for former Sen. Bill Frist's education initiative, Tennessee SCORE.

A graduation of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Walker had worked for sen. Fred Thompson, at federal agencies and for the Republican National Committee before joining Burr's office.

Starting next week, David Ward will be Burr's spokesman.

Ward, a native of Raleigh and a fellow Wake Forest University alum, has worked with Walker on Burr's communications team.

In 2008, he was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill" by a local newspaper.

Is U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler gearing up for 2010?

The Waynesville Democrat told the Hendersonville Times-News that he hasn't ruled out running against Sen. Richard Burr in two years:

Shuler said he has not ruled out a run for Senate, but wants to focus now on Congress.

"First and foremost, I am going back to Washington and work on the economy," Shuler said. "At this point in time we need to focus on the economy."

The paper notes that the race would pit Shuler, a former star quarterback from the University of Tennessee, against Burr, who played defensive back at Wake Forest University.

It also notes that Shuler said he was approached about taking on Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

'It was my first term, and we decided against it," he told the paper. 

Cheri Beasley is running for the N.C. Court of Appeals.

Beasley has served as a District Court judge in Cumberland County for the last nine years. A Democrat, she was appointed by former Gov. Jim Hunt.

Previously, she worked in legal departments for several corporations in Research Triangle Park and briefly served in the Wake County District Attorney's office.

She also worked for five years in the Fayetteville Public Defender's office.

She attended Rutgers University and went to law school at the University of Tennessee. While in law school, Beasley studied comparative law at the University of Oxford in England.

She will be running against the incumbent Doug McCullough for the 12th Judicial District.