Marcy Winograd to enter race to succeed Jane Harman

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Antiwar activist and high school teacher Marcy Winograd, who twice mounted primary challenges to retiring Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), said she’s getting into the special election to succeed Harman.

She’ll kick off her campaign at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Old Town section of Torrance, then head to downtown Los Angeles, where she is scheduled to speak at a rally supporting public employee unions.

Winograd, founder of the L.A. chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, is the most liberal of the prominent Democrats making the run, including Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn.

Although the largely coastal 36th Congressional District, which runs from Venice into San Pedro, was drawn to strongly favor a Democrat, at least one Republican, Redondo Beach City Atty. Mike Webb, is running and several others are considering it.

The governor cannot call a special election to replace Harman until she leaves her seat, expected Monday, but her announcement earlier this month touched off a scramble to succeed her in one of the few offices not subject to term limits. At least three additional lesser-known Democrats also have said they are running.

Winograd, who won 41% of the vote in June’s Democratic primary, said her platform is ‘Jobs, Not Wars’ and promised to fight to protect Social Security.

‘Each week we spend $2 billion taxpayer dollars on the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, while people at home are suffering without adequate jobs, housing or healthcare,’ Winograd said in announcing her candidacy.

Winograd recently moved to Santa Monica, outside the district, but congressional candidates are not required to live in the districts they seek to represent.

-- Jean Merl