Janice Hahn, Craig Huey appear headed to runoff in congressional race to replace Jane Harman

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: LA Times

In a seemingly major upset in the race to replace former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), Republican Craig Huey appears to have captured one of the spots in a July 12 runoff.

With all of the election night ballots counted late Tuesday, Huey squeaked past California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, a Democrat, by 206 votes.

If the outcome stands after outstanding ballots are counted, Huey will face Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, a Democrat. Antiwar activist and teacher Marcy Winograd, who challenged Harman twice in Democratic primaries, finished fourth.

Huey, a conservative businessman who pumped $500,000 of his own money into the race, faces long odds in the runoff, given the district’s strong Democratic tilt. Democrats (45%) hold an edge over Republicans (28%) in the 36th Congressional District, which runs mostly along the coast, from Venice to San Pedro. More than 22% of voters are unaffiliated with any state-recognized political party.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2011/05/janice-hahn-craig-huey-appear-headed-to-runoff-in-congressional-race-to-replace-jane-harman.html

[Ken Burch]

1. Tragic that Marcy Winograd lost

Simply tragic.

Hahn is basically a hack from all I've heard. Why would anyone in that district want her?

[KeepItReal]

2. Hahn has the family name behind her and union and LA Times endorsements

Apparently Winograd got just enough votes to knock Debra Bowen out of contention.

I'm not loving this result.

[No Elephants]

3. +1 Damn!

[66 dmhlt]

4. Agreed. Very disappointing

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Perhaps Ms. Winograd should have done a better job courting organized labor

[Ken Burch]

19. she was probably too pro worker for them

n/t.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Perhaps they have more information about Ms. Hahn then people in Alaska do

[Ken Burch]

6. You're just gloating because the least-progressive candidate won the primary.

And you don't live in the California 36th either...so I'm not sure what information YOU have.

Her father or grandfather was a genuine liberal on the L.A. City Council back in the day. Somebody else in her family was a centrist mushburger mayor for one term a few years ago(the guy only won because, at that time, black voters couldn't deal with backing a Latino for mayor).

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. She seems to be a good fit for the district

That district elected Harman nine times, and Democratic primary voters there twice rejected Ms. Winograd in favor of former Congresswoman Harman.

[Shadder24]

7. I'd look for more info on Huey

You might be shocked at what you find.

[Ken Burch]

13. Probably he's a fascist nightmare.

And progressives in the 36th will hold their nose and fight off the stomach cramps and vote for Hahn. But there was no good reason they should have had to settle for this non-choice. Hahn is just the slightly-less-disgusting candidate now, and a progressive district like the 36th should never have to settle for that.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ken Burch]

11. Yeah, but that's why we love him, the big lug!

:sarcasm: :puke:

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Wow, PassingFair, that is such a convincing argument!

[zonkers]

18. Her numbers have been dreadful two years in a row.

[winstars]

8. I live in the district, not real happy either...But

I voted for Winograd last time. This time she was ALWAYS gonna be the spoiler and thats exactly what happened. There are still provisional ballots to be counted (DailyKos has a good diary on this race) so it might not be over yet for Bowen. I voted for Hahn because we want Bowen to REMAIN the S of S for California thru the 2012 elections. She has been very good with voting machine madness during her tenure. Hahn will be fine and will win, I mean, lest we not forget, this seat was JANE HARMON'S so.... The only issue is that if Bowen beats (had beat) the 'pug, the is no 'pug on the ballot in November....

[Ken Burch]

10. Why was Marcy ALWAYS going to be the spoiler this time?

It's not like Bowen was that freaking special. She was just an insider who felt entitled to kick a grassroots type to the curb. She should have stayed the hell out of this one, since she had no good reason to ratfuck Marcy. It was enough for Bowen to have the chance to challenge Feinstein(or succeed her if she stands down, as I think she might)in 2012. Why couldn't she just be happy being SOS UNTIL then? Not only did she end Marcy's career for no good reason, she can't recover from this defeat herself now. She should have done the decent thing and backed Marcy, the candidate who had EARNED the progressive vote in the 36th. Bowen interloped out of nothing but ego and sense of entitlement from what I could see.

[winstars]

14. Because IMHO once Hahn and then Bowen

got in she was never gonna win. It sucked when Bowen got in, she should have stayed S of S... and run for Senate later. But that is not what happened. I would have voted for Marcy AGAIN if I thought she had a chance. And maybe I am wrong 'cause I am new to the 36th but it seems to me that it ain't that frigging progressive. Jane Harmon duhh, Marcy did earn the progressive vote but she was never gonna win in this district. I agree with you about Bowen but once she got in I saw this happening. Am I too pragmatic with my single vote. I came to DU in the dark days of 2000, whilst Florida was happening and have been here since. With all the BS from that episode, I am way more pragmatic in my thinking...

[Ken Burch]

12. I can't understand why you'd ever vote for the least-progressive Dem in the race

No Hahn has been worth a damn in L.A. since the progressive city councillor Hahn in the Fifties. His bland centrist son was a dead loss as mayor. And I assume this Hahn doesn't have any real principles either. What made her so special to the union pie-cards? Centrist Dems are never good on labor issues.