Democratic Congressman Garamendi Cruises to victory in California 10

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Cqpolitics.com

Democrat Garamendi Cruises in California 10

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi kept California’s 10th Congressional District in Democratic hands, easily winning the special election to fill an open seat.

With more than a quarter of the precincts reporting, Garamendi was ahead by 16 points over Republican opponent David Harmer. He had 56 percent of the vote compared with 40 percent for Harmer, a lawyer.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., released a statement congratulating Garamendi and Bill Owens, the winner in New York’s 23rd District House race.

“In Congress, Bill Owens and John Garamendi will be champions for the middle class, strong advocates for our troops and veterans, and committed fighters for building a clean energy future,” Pelosi said. “I look forward to welcoming Congressmen-elect Owens and Garamendi to the Congress this week and working with them and my colleagues to reform health insurance and continue America’s economic recovery.”

Read more: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003...

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The Democrats won 2 house seats last night in historically republican districts.

[Richardo]

1. CA-10 was not a GOP district. Dem gains in the House = +1 (NY-23)

Still good news!

[Mr. Sparkle]

2. It was a "historically" republican district up until 1997.

Until Ellen Tauscher won, the 10th district was once considered a "solid Republican territory," very similar to NY 23 today.

[bluestateguy]

6. In 2001, it was made a more Democratic district by the legislature

The legislature moved much of the district north into Solano County and in Contra Costa chopped off some of the GOP towns like Danville, San Ramon and the Alameda County Tri-Valley, but then again, even those towns aren't the GOP strongholds that they used to be.

[No Elephants]

13. Gerrymandering ought to be illegal, IMO.

[Doctor_J]

3. Distrcit used to be GOP, and what's more, Garamendi is liberal

He's an outspoken advocate of liberal issues. This is a very good win.

[Mz Pip]

7. Garamendi is far more liberal

than Tauscher was. I think it would be fair to call Tauscher a Blue Dog. CA - 10 has some pretty conservative areas and what is even more interesting is that Garamendi doesn't even live in the district if I remember correctly, though he may own some property there.

Very good win, indeed!

Mz Pip

[cyclezealot]

10. Tauscher was a blue dog.

My hope is that as the former insurance commissioner= he will lead the way in re-couping Democrats to get Wall Street under control. One of the biggest burdens of our Democrats... There is a perception that Obama is too cozy with Goldman Sachs.. I hope Garamendi will sit on Barney Frank's committee. That is what we need to help assure the public , Democrats are different.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. Democratics outnumber Republicans in this district by 18 points.

The redistricting made CA-10 less conservative.

The only reason this is a good win is that he's a Democrat. I'm not pleased that we traded Tauscher for Garamendi. At least Tauscher had some attachment to the district. Garamendi is a carpetbagger. He doesn't live in the district nor does he own property in it but there's no stipulation in the law that says he must. This district would have been better served by Mark DeSaulnier or Anthony Woods.

[chelsea0011]

4. it would still be a gian of +2 because it was an unfilled seat until the election last night?

[Richardo]

8. OK, I'll buy that

[No Elephants]

14. Yep.

[Gormy Cuss]

11. CA-10 was a Republican seat until Tauscher was elected.

In fact, it wasn't even considered winnable when Tauscher ran the first time.
After the last redistricting this district increased its Democratic constituency and now Dems have a double digit advantage, although many voters aren't registered in either Rep or Dem parties.

BTW,I'm a voter in CA-10.

[pattmarty]

5. What we need to do is run primary opponents in SOME districts...........

............for next years elections. Some districts we stay clear from ie SOME of the Blue Dogs districts. AND, we don't want to go crazy over the top and be branded like the right wing crazies or like O'Reilley likes to call us "left wing loons". Got to be careful and pick districts that have somebody for instance like Jane harmon, from California who is in my opinion somewhat conservative and pro war/Pentagon. A liberal will still win in her district in the final, just as in the one mentioned above. We can do this if we are smart about it.

[No Elephants]

15. We also need to convince the Party to stop backing incumbents full bore, no

matter what.

That leads to defeats like Corzine's, when Corzine should have been primaried. And Lamonts, since so many Party stars had campaigned for Lieberman so heartily during his primary against Lamont, despite Lieberman being Bush's beloved poodle, to the extent that the RNC did not even support the Republican running against Lieberman.

[TomCADem]

9. K & R!

[senseandsensibility]

16. kick

for Garamendi! He'f from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. And he is very, very liberal, as anyone who had heard him can attest. He's also a fighter.