WASHINGTON -- Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., has begun fundraising for 2008 but has not yet publicly said whether she will run for re-election, although one challenger has already announced his campaign.

"She is raising money," said Cubin spokeswoman Alison McGuire. "It's way too early to be focusing on the campaign right now, but she'll be making an announcement at the appropriate time."

That time would be much closer to the election, McGuire said, noting that Cubin has never started a campaign this early.

Cubin had a luncheon fundraiser last week at the Capitol Hill Club, a national social club for Republicans just blocks from the Capitol, McGuire said.

House Republican Leader John Boehner held a fundraiser for her about a month ago in Washington, McGuire said. Cubin has not held any fundraisers in Wyoming.

Casper Republican Kenn Gilchrist announced to the Casper Journal in March that he is running for the seat in 2008.

Gilchrist, a 60-year-old University of Wyoming graduate and Vietnam veteran, is not active in the Republican Party and will run an independent campaign, the paper reported. He said he will hold town meetings around the state.

Cubin was listed during a briefing by a senior White House aide as one of the top 17 Republican House members the GOP needs to defend in 2008. Scott Jennings, Karl Rove's deputy at the White House, made the briefing at the General Services Administration on Jan. 26.

The list of vulnerable Republicans members was shown publicly during a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on alleged misconduct at the GSA. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said such a political briefing should not have happened at a federal agency.

Cubin had a star next to her name on the list, indicating she may not seek re-election.

The briefing also listed the top 20 House Democrats being targeted by the GOP in 2008 and the governors and senators expected to have competitive races.

"Cubin had an extremely close and competitive race in 2006, and I think the slim margin of victory will cause Democrats to target the seat and potentially invest money and time into defeating her," said Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the Rothenberg Political Report.

In its first House ratings of 2008, the Rothenberg Political Report has Cubin listed as a "Republican favored" seat. The report is a nonpartisan newsletter covering federal campaigns and politics.

"I think she's always somewhat of a concern even among Republican operatives when it comes to campaigning," Gonzales said. "She's not known to be a particularly strong campaigner, and that proved to be a factor last time, along with the national environment."

Being on the ticket with presidential candidates in 2008 should help the GOP House candidate in Wyoming because the state is heavily Republican on the presidential level, he noted.

"But right now there isn't a lot of indication that '08 is going to be a great Republican year," he said. "Even though Cubin survived 2006 doesn't mean she'll coast to victory in 2008."

Cubin has missed more votes this Congress than all but seven other House members, including one who died, according to a Washington Post vote database. She missed 19.8 percent, or 42 out of the 212 total votes this session, it showed.

Cubin's brother died in February, accounting for some of the missed votes.

Cubin's high number of missed votes has been an issue in her past campaigns. The state Democratic Party last week issued a statement criticizing her attendance record.

The Democrats noted that of the lawmakers who have missed more votes than Cubin, one had gall bladder surgery, one tore knee ligaments, one had urinary tract surgery and one had heart bypass surgery.

"At the very least, Wyoming deserves a representative who is reliable enough to show up for work," said Mike Gierau, chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party. "We deserve better representation in Congress, period."