Which Republican is the DCCC most afraid of? It might be David Harmer, who’s running for Congress in California’s 11th district. Harmer ran in a special election in the neighboring district last year, and garnered 42.8 percent in a district where Republican House candidates usually perform in the low 30s.

I wrote yesterday, “There aren’t a lot of competitive races in the San Francisco area; it appears the DCCC plans to spend $756,000 to defend incumbent Jerry McNerney from David Harmer; McNerney won 55 percent to 45 percent in 2008.” With turnout probably high among both party’s bases with California’s competitive gubernatorial and senatorial races, I would have put Harmer in the category of “promising candidate in tough terrain,” with odds of winning still below 50-50.

But Harmer wrote in to note that the district also includes a chunk of the Sacramento suburbs, and with few other competitive races in that area, it appears the DCCC is scheduling even more money for this race: $800,000 for the San Francisco market, and another $670,000 in the Sacramento television market. That adds up to $1.47 million, just to protect McNerney, who shouldn’t be in that much trouble.

The good news for Harmer? Another $4.53 million, and he’ll be right up there with Steve Austin.