Rep. Bono Mack concedes defeat in Coachella Valley race

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs) on Friday conceded defeat in her Coachella Valley congressional race against Democratic emergency room doctor Raul Ruiz.

"Today, I called Dr. Ruiz and congratulated him on his impressive victory. Dr. Ruiz will
do a fine job if he is guided as well by the people of the congressional district as I was. Please give him the opportunity to succeed,'' Bono Mack said in a statement. 

Ruiz said he thanked Bono Mack for her dedicated public service when the two spoke Friday, and he assured voters that he would strive to represent all voters in the district, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or independents.

"I believe that this election sends a message that it's time to put an end to partisan gridlock,'' Ruiz said. "I'm excited to go to Washington and represent the entire district -- including supporters of Congresswoman Bono Mack. The issues that we have to work on are clear: the high cost of healthcare, bringing jobs to the Coachella Valley, and investing in education and renewable energy.

Bono Mack fought the toughest battle of her 14-year political career, which began when she was elected to replace her husband, singer Sonny Bono, in Congress after his death in a skiing accident.

California’s rejiggered political maps, combined with a decline in GOP voter registration, turned the contest into a high-stakes tossup. The split between Republicans and Democrats in the district, which includes Palm Springs, Indio and Blythe, is less than 1 percentage point. 

During the campaign, Bono Mack accused Ruiz of being a “radical” for taking part in a Native American protest of Thanksgiving when he was a Harvard medical student in the late 1990s.

Ruiz assailed Bono Mack for supporting the budget plan of GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin member of Congress; Ruiz said the plan would decimate Medicare.

The political parties and outside groups spent more than $3.3 million in the race.

-- Phil Willon

twitter.com/philwillon

Photo: Raul Ruiz. Source: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

 

Bono Mack declines to concede, citing uncounted ballots

Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs, who is trailing
Democrat Raul Ruiz by just over 4,500 votes with all precincts reporting, on Wednesday declined to concede defeat because of a large number of ballots that have yet to be tallied.

“With more than 180,000 ballots still to be counted around
Riverside County, it is premature to consider any election results final," said Marc Troast, the congresswoman’s political director.  “Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack and her campaign will be awaiting the impact of this large number of remaining ballots before making any further statements on the 36th Congressional District race.”

The number of uncounted ballots Troast mentioned is the countywide total, not the number of uncounted ballots in the much smaller area of the 36^th Congressional District. A representative of the Riverside County Registrar of Voters said the office did not have an estimate for the number of uncounted ballots in that congressional district.

It's common to have uncounted ballots remaining in the days or weeks after a major election. They include mail-in ballots that arrived on election day, plus provisional or damaged ballots that must be inspected by election officials.

Ruiz, an emergency room doctor, grew up in the Coachella Valley as the son of a farm workers and he has been an active proponent of providing greater medical care to the underserved area.

This was Ruiz's first political campaign, and he proved to be the toughest challenger Bono Mack has faced in her 14-year congressional career. Bono Mack was first elected to replace her husband, singer Sonny Bono, in Congress after his death in a skiing accident.  

Bono Mack had attacked Ruiz as a “radical” for taking part in a Native American protest of Thanksgiving when he was a Harvard medical student in the late 1990s, including reading a letter written by a Zapatista rebel leader from Chiapas, Mexico, in support of Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Ruiz attacked Bono Mack for supporting the budget plan of GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, which he said would decimate Medicare. The Democratic Party also has aired television ads criticizing Bono Mack for benefiting from tax breaks for Florida residents.

The parties and outside political groups have spent more than $3.3 million on the race.

--Phil Willon

Photo: Rep. Mary Bono Mack. Source: Bono Mack campaign.

Ruiz leading Bono Mack in tight race for 36th Congressional District

An often-caustic political slugfest between Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs) and Democratic emergency room doctor Raul Ruiz over a Coachella Valley congressional seat remained tight Wednesday, with Ruiz leading by a slim margin.

Ruiz led by less than three percentage points at daybreak, with two-thirds of precincts reporting.

Bono Mack fought the toughest battle of her 14-year political career, which began when she was elected to replace her husband, singer Sonny Bono, in Congress after his death in a skiing accident.

FULL RESULTS: California races

California’s rejiggered political maps, combined with a decline in GOP voter registration, turned the contest into a high-stakes tossup. The split between Republicans and Democrats in the district, which includes Palm Springs, Indio and Blythe, is less than 1 percentage point. 

Bono Mack accused Ruiz of being a “radical” for taking part in a Native American protest of Thanksgiving when he was a Harvard medical student in the late 1990s.

Ruiz assailed Bono Mack for supporting the budget plan of GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin member of Congress; Ruiz said the plan would decimate Medicare.

The political parties and outside groups spent more than $3.3 million in the race.

ALSO:

Munger’s Proposition 38 fails, according to AP

Prop. 40, on state Senate districts, passes, per AP

Proposition 36 on three-strikes law passes, AP says

-- Phil Willon

Jerry Brown, California Democrats appear to be big winners in election

Gov. Jerry Brown’s $6-billion-a-year tax initiative to rescue California schools and the state's finances appeared to squeak by with a victory early Wednesday, and Democrats' grip on Sacramento tightened as the party crept toward winning a super-majority in both houses of the Legislature.

Tuesday's election also brought an end to the three-decade-long congressional career of Rep. Howard Berman, who early Wednesday morning conceded defeat in his political slugfest against fellow Democrat Brad Sherman in the San Fernando Valley.

The bitter contest between Sherman and Berman, awash in more than $13 million in campaign spending by the candidates and independent political groups, was triggered when California's newly drawn political boundaries put the two incumbents in the same district.

"I congratulate Brad. ... I will do whatever I can to ensure a cooperative and orderly transition," Berman said in a concise concession statement early Wednesday.

FULL RESULTS: California races

In a similar high-profile mash-up between Democrats, Rep. Janice Hahn of San Pedro was cruising to an easy win against Rep. Laura Richardson of Long Beach in a newly drawn district that includes many minority, working-class communities, election results showed.

Among other closely watched races for California House seats, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Oak Park) narrowly defeated state Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Moorpark) in Ventura County, and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) bested former Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, according to results with all voter precincts reporting in those districts.

California's senior U.S. senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, won an easy reelection victory over nonprofit executive Elizabeth Emken, her underfunded, little-known Republican challenger.

PHOTOS: California voters head to polls

The governor woke up Wednesday as one of the biggest apparent victors in Tuesday’s election, however.

Facing well-funded opposition, Brown campaigned heavily for Proposition 30 as a way to restore fiscal sanity to Sacramento and to stave off deep cuts to public schools and universities. The initiative calls for a quarter-cent increase to sales taxes for four years and a seven-year tax hike on California’s highest earners.

Californians have not approved a statewide tax increase since 2004.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected a competing measure bankrolled by millionaire civil rights lawyer Molly Munger -- Proposition 38 – which would have increased income taxes for most Californians to raise funds primarily for schools and early childhood education.

In one of the highest-profile state ballot measures, labor unions appeared to defeat Proposition 32, which would have reduced their political influence by barring unions from using paycheck deductions for political purposes.

Californians also soured on a measure to abolish the death penalty -– Proposition 34 -- which was trailing badly with most of the voter precincts reporting Wednesday morning.

Other law-and-order measures were greeting more warmly. Voters favored Proposition 36, which would change the three-strikes sentencing law so offenders whose third strikes were minor, nonviolent crimes could no longer be given 25 years to life in prison.

Voters also supported Proposition 35, which promoted increased punishment for sex trafficking of a minor. Both led by wide margins with most ballots counted.

With most ballots tallied across California, initiatives to label genetically engineered foods and change state law to create a new car insurance discount appeared headed for defeat.

One of the biggest surprises of the election was the Democrats' strong showing in legislative races. Democrats appear on the verge of winning a two-thirds majority in the state Senate and Assembly, enough to approve tax measures without Republican support.

In Los Angeles County, veteran prosecutor Jackie Lacey became the county's first female and first African American district attorney after defeating Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson. Jackson conceded early Wednesday morning.

Lacey, 55, touted herself as the only candidate with the experience to run the office. She had the support of her boss, Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, who is retiring after three terms.

Los Angeles County voters also approved a local measure requiring adult film actors to wear condoms. With most precincts reporting, a measure to fund transportation projects by extending a countywide sales-tax increase for an additional 30 years remained just shy of the two-thirds vote required for approval.

Some races remained too close to call, including the San Diego congressional race between Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) and Democrat Scott Peters, a San Diego environmental attorney. In the Coachella Valley, Democratic emergency room doctor Raul Ruiz was leading Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs) with just under two-thirds of precincts reporting early Wednesday morning.

ALSO:

Munger’s Proposition 38 fails, according to AP

Prop. 40, on state Senate districts, passes, per AP

Proposition 36 on three-strikes law passes, AP says

-- Phil Willon

Photo: Gov. Jerry Brown addresses supporters of Proposition 30 and 32 at the Sheraton Hotel in Sacramento Tuesday. Source: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Attacks flying in Coachella Valley congressional race

Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs has sharpened her attacks against her Democratic challenger, emergency room doctor Raul Ruiz, in a race that’s attracting money and attention from across the country.
Representatives of Bono Mack’s campaign on Thursday released a 1999 audio recording that they said captured Ruiz reading a letter written by a Zapatista rebel leader from Chiapas, Mexico, in support of Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  

It was Bono Mack’s latest attack on Ruiz for taking part in Native American protests while he was a Harvard University medical student in the 1990s, as the race for the 36th Congressional District grows tighter and more contentious by the day.

The recording came from a pro-Native American protest at Plymouth Rock, Bono Mack’s  campaign representatives said. The week before, Bono Mack called Ruiz a “radical” for taking part in a similar protest two years before and being arrested.  The charges were later dropped. Ruiz said he had been taken into custody because he was protecting a tribal elder from being beaten by police

Bono Mack's attacks on Friday drew a sharp rebuke from the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations. The coalition of nine Southern California tribes includes the politically influential Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in Highland and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in Temecula.

“We were deeply hurt and offended by your attack against your congressional opponent on the basis that he stood with tribal people to protest the deplorable historic treatment of American Indians and the dual, arguably controversial, symbolism of Plymouth Rock," Tribal Alliance’s leaders said in a letter to the representative. “We resent the suggestion that choosing to respect Indian heritage and giving voice to Indian issues is “un American” and “radical.”

Ruiz released a contrite statement about the recording on Friday evening.

"I've always been passionate about standing up for people -- that was true then, and it's true now.  I shouldn't have read that letter, I was wrong -- I believe anyone who is convicted of killing FBI agents should be punished to the full extent of the law," the statement said. “Congresswoman Bono Mack is launching desperate personal attacks because she's down in the polls and losing this race -- voters are appalled by her record on the issues that matter to them like voting to end Medicare and failing to create jobs."

Marc Troast, the political director for Bono Mack’s campaign, earlier had criticized Ruiz for initially saying he did not recall reading the letter.

“Raul Ruiz has deceived the voters of  the 36th Congressional District, and the evidence is crystal clear," Troast said.

ALSO:

Skelton: Proposition 39 fixes lawmakers' tax mistake

Ex-Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez takes hit in real estate

Berman, Sherman mix it up -- again -- in congressional race forum

--Phil Willon in Riverside

Photos: Democrat Raul Ruiz, Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack. Source: Candidate campaigns.

Janice Hahn sworn in as congresswoman

Janice Hahn was sworn in as California's newest member of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, after she won a special election last week in the 36th U.S. House district. Read about it here.

Video: Janice Hahn's speech after being sworn in. Credit: Office of Congresswoman Janice Hahn

Vote-suppression complaints filed in testy congressional election

As voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide a hard-fought special congressional election in the South Bay area, attorneys for Democrat Janice Hahn filed complaints alleging that supporters of her opponent, Republican Craig Huey, were trying to suppress turnout of her voters.

In a letter sent Tuesday to the Los Angeles County district attorney, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles and the California attorney general, Hahn lawyers Stephen J. Kaufman and Steven J. Reyes asked for immediate investigations into "voter suppression actitivies" in the 36th Congressional District race.

The attorneys said several voters reported receiving telephone calls Monday night telling them the election had been postponed to Wednesday at Hahn's request ,and others were given wrong polling place addresses. 

The attorneys provided a couple of examples of voters who had reported receiving the calls, along with information about where the calls came from.  Those details were redacted in the copies of the letters released publicly.

"The penalties for election tampering are extremely severe, and we will make sure the perpetrators of these outrages are prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Kaufman said.

Huey campaign representatives said they had nothing to do with the calls and noted that one, according to the Hahn complaint, went to a voter registered with the American Independent Party, which has endorsed Huey, so it would make no sense for his supporters to discourage that voter.

"They are desperate to generate a news story to help their turnout,  because the reports we are getting from the precincts look good for Craig," said Huey campaign consultant Dave Gilliard.

The race has grown increasingly bitter in recent weeks.  In their latest exchanges over the weekend, Huey claimed Hahn had claimed an endorsement she didn't have -- and produced an objection from the man in question -- and Democrats were on hand to videotape and publicize Huey being served a subpoena from his ex-wife in connection with a dispute over child support.

As of 2 p.m., elections officials were reporting an estimated turnout of 10.83%, including returned mail ballots.  By that same time during the May 17 primary election, turnout was just 6.52%.

-- Jean Merl

Vitriolic South Bay congressional race nears combative finish

The vitriol continued to mount as an especially hard-fought South Bay congressional race entered the last few days of the campaign.

Democrat Janice Hahn and Republican Craig Huey, combatants for the seat resigned earlier this year by then-Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), continued to pound away at each other, which some observers took as a sign the race was tightening up.

The California Democratic Party, which said it has had someone videotaping Huey at his Torrance headquarters, was on hand Sunday when the businessman was served a subpoena from his ex-wife, who says he owes some back child support. The episode over the disputed amount marked "a new low in the annals of campaign dirty tricks," said Huey campaign strategist Dave Gilliard. Noting that Hahn had been through a "bitter" divorce herself years ago, he added: "You would think she would have the decency to leave family matters private."

A day earlier, it was Huey who attacked Hahn, claiming she had tried to trick voters into believing she was endorsed by former World War II POW Louis Zamperini of Torrance. A Hahn strategist called the allegation "absurd," pointing out that the political mailer featuring a photo of Hahn and Zamperini does not claim an endorsement. "It's more of a description of his respect for the Hahn family," said Hahn strategist John Shallman.

The caption reads: "Pictured here with Janice, Louis Zamperini has been friends with the Hahn family for over 40 years. He knows their commitment to public service and fighting for America." Shallman said Zamperini's son, Luke, approved the language in the mailer.

But it wasn't all hits and slams over the weekend as both sides worked feverishly to rally their voters.  The Huey campaign offered bus transportation "from virtually every major location in California" and free lunch, beverages and snacks for those willing to walk precincts. The Hahn campaign added automatic phone messages from President Obama and former President Bill Clinton to her volunteers' precinct walks and phone banking.

Election Day in the 36th Congressional District is Tuesday.

-- Jean Merl

 

National groups adding fuel to fiery congressional runoff in South Bay

For an election that wasn't supposed to be much of a contest, the race to succeed former Rep. Jane Harman in Congress has grown increasingly hot -- and garnered more and more national attention -- as Tuesday's balloting nears.

Republican businessman Craig Huey and Democratic Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn took shots at one another Thursday on Larry Mantle's "AirTalk" on KPCC-FM (89.3), their only face-to-face meeting of the runoff campaign. 

Huey called Hahn a "career politician" and blamed her and other Democrats for setting up the country for an "economic catastrophe."  Hahn said Huey wants to protect "millionaires and billionaires" and big business at the cost of lifesaving environmental and workplace safeguards.

The exchange came as national women's groups accused the Huey campaign of trying to discourage women from voting in the South Bay-based 36th Congressional District, and as the National Republican Congressional Committee touted an "update" of a discredited Fox News report that accused Hahn and a city gang-intervention program of hiring and going to bat for active gang members. Hahn vigorously denied the report again on Thursday.

When Hahn, 59, and Huey, 61, emerged in first and second place, respectively, from a 16-candidate primary to win spots on the runoff ballot, most observers predicted Hahn would not have a hard time winning the race to replace Harman, a Venice Democrat who resigned in February to head a Washington think tank. Democrats hold an 18-point registration edge in the district, and Huey's socially conservative views -- he opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, for example -- were seen as out of step with the district's moderate voting patterns.

But Huey pumped about $900,000 of his own money into his campaign and rallied "tea party" activists and other conservatives to help spread his cut-government-spending, grow-jobs message.  Hahn has raised more than $1 million and enlisted support from labor, environmental groups, women's organizations and Democratic leaders, including former President Clinton.

-- Jean Merl

Hahn tops $1 million in race for Congress

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has raised more than $1 million in her race for Congress in a July 12 special election, while businessman Craig Huey is relying on his personal bankroll for most of his campaign funds, reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission showed.

Hahn, a Democrat running to succeed former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), had collected $1,097, 461 by the June 22 end of the latest campaign finance reporting period.  She reported having $323,348 left to spend and had not taken out any loans.  After the reporting period closed, she received an additional $5,000 from DRIVE, a political action committee in Washington, D.C.

Huey, a Republican backed by “tea party” activists, lent his campaign an additional $195,000 during the latest reporting period, from April 28 through June 22.  That brought the total amount in loans he made to his campaign $695,000.  His earlier loans, totaling $500,000, gave him the biggest war chest in the 16-candidate special primary in May  and helped him get into the runoff.

In addition to the loans to himself, Huey had raised $144,120 by the end of the reporting period, bringing his total campaign fund to $839,514. He had $56,526 left in his treasury.

But Huey, too, has continued to add to his coffers since the latest reporting period, notices filed with the FEC showed.  On June 24 he donated $100,000 to campaign.  He also has received $5,000 from the California Republican Party and $10,000 from others in the last few days.

A substantial chunk of Hahn's contributions come from developers, lobbyists and others with business at City Hall.  But she also has had help raising money from prominent Democratic leaders, including former President Bill Clinton, Emily's List, which supports pro-choice, Democratic women candidates, and others.  Organized labor also is providing help with precinct walks, telephone banks and efforts to turn out the vote among its members.

The race for the South Bay-based 36th Congressional District, which runs largely along the coast from Venice to San Pedro, has grown increasingly contentious, with each camp slamming the other in cable TV spots and political mailers.

Democrats hold an 18-point registration edge in the district but Huey believes his cut-government-spending message will resonate with voters and derides her as a "career politician."  Hahn says his views are too extreme for most.

--Jean Merl