Democrat Jackie Speier (and Jonestown survivor) favored to win special election in CA-12

[CreekDog]

Former lawmaker favored for Calif. seat



(excerpts:)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A former congressional aide may be heading back to Washington, nearly 30 years after she was shot and left for dead on a Guyana airstrip while on a fact-finding trip into the Jim Jones cult.

Democrat Jackie Speier is the favorite to win a special election Tuesday to fill the House seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Tom Lantos, a San Mateo Democrat.

It is her second try for the seat once held by her boss, Rep. Leo Ryan, who was killed by Jones' henchmen in the same 1978 attack that seriously wounded Speier.

Ryan had gone to Guyana to investigate reports that Jones was holding followers against their will at his Jonestown compound in the small South American nation. Four other people died at the air strip with Ryan, and that same night Jones and 912 of his followers died in a mass murder-suicide, most by drinking cyanide-laced grape punch.

Lantos...endorsed Speier before he died in February.

Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, which analyzes legislative and congressional races, jokes that Tuesday's election will be "the Jackie Speier coronation."

"The worst that could happen to her would be the embarrassment to have a runoff against a Republican before going on to Congress," he said. "That's not likely to happen."

Speier, 57, said she is not taking anything for granted. She has been holding neighborhood meetings and running a phone bank to encourage voters to vote by mail in what is expected to be a low-turnout election.

The 12th District, which Lantos represented for more than 27 years, includes southwestern San Francisco and most of neighboring San Mateo County. Democrats make up more than half the district's voters, and there are more independents than Republicans.

After losing her first congressional race, Speier served six years on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, then spent 18 years in the California Legislature, including eight in the state Senate representing generally the same area covered by the congressional seat. She developed a reputation as a consumer advocate and leading critic of the state's troubled prison system.

Speier said she wants to start pulling American troops out of Iraq immediately and would not vote to continue funding for the increase in troop levels that Bush ordered last year.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080406/ap_on_el_ho/congress_california;_ylt=Apl04UtTpR9YLbpPBzc1J2hvzwcF

ps-I already voted for her by mail as did friends and family.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

1. I have a friend in SF interning for her.

Go Jackie!

[samsingh]

2. good

[CreekDog]

3. just hours away

:hi:

[samsingh]

5. is it official?

[CreekDog]

6. she will be sworn in this morning

she won with 80% of the vote. :wow:

[EFerrari]

4. I've always heard really good things about her.

Good job, neighbor!

K&R