Posted on 01/04/2010 12:58:01 PM PST by SmithL
Tracy Republican Richard Pombo said today he will seek the congressional seat of George Radanovich, who announced last week that he would not seek re-election.
Pombo said he will make an official announcement Tuesday afternoon on KMJ radio in Fresno.
The decision by Pombo is a potential game-changer, political analysts said. State Sen. Jeff Denham of Atwater and former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson already have announced their intentions to replace Radanovich, but Pombo has Washington experience and the backing of some influential San Joaquin Valley agricultural interests.
Pombo served seven terms in the 11th Congressional District before being ousted in 2006 by Democrat Jerry McNerney. Pombo was chairman of the House Resources Committee, which writes environmental laws.
Radanovich is in the 19th Congressional District, but Pombo said the issues are the same across the San Joaquin Valley.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people over the past week,” Pombo said today. “A lot have been encouraging me to do this because of the situation we have in the Valley, what I have done in the past and what I could do now.”
With Pombo in, the field is growing more competitive. Fresno City Council Member Larry Westerlund also is considering a run. The biggest name mulling a run -– and, like Pombo, another potential game-changer -– is former California secretary of state and Assembly Republican leader Bill Jones of Fresno.
Like Pombo did over the past week, Jones is making calls and weighing his options. Also like Pombo, Jones has significant ties to the Valley’s agriculture community.
Pombo knows others might enter the race to replace Radanovich, who is stepping down to care for his ailing wife,
...Pombo also said he has been “proven right” on many issues he championed, including energy production and delta water pumping.
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
This is my district. Will I have a real conservative to vote for?
Oy! First JD Hayworth. Now Pombo. What is the deal with the Abramoff Republicans wanting back in Congress? The GOP isn’t the Democratic Party. We vote these guys out and we want to keep them out.
Doesn’t Pombo live in Tracy? How can he run for a seat in Fresno?
You only have to be a resident of the same state to run for a Congressional district. That means somebody in Crescent City could run for a House district across the river from Yuma, Arizona. Tom McClintock represented a Southern CA district in the legislature and ran and won in a Northern CA C.D.
Wish Pombo would run for his old seat back, rather than coming down here to weaken other Republicans and spend even MORE GOP money. wouldn’t it be better to take back a seat, rather than wasting a bunch of money on a safe GOP seat?
My 2 choices in this race would be Denham and Patterson. The others should be running for something else. This fratricide only strengthens the Democraps.
This is bad news. Does he think that losing one Republican district to the ‘Rats isn’t enough?
Well, to be fair, I think his old district was the least Republican of all the GOP-held seats at the time. Part of it dangled off into the Bay area.
I would agree with that, of all the GOP seats it gave Bush the smallest plurality in 2004. Just the same he's a carpetbagger and had ethics problems. He has no business running.
“Oy! First JD Hayworth”
You prefer McCain?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.