Posted on 04/11/2006 12:16:46 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO - Eighteen candidates in a solidly GOP district on the Southern California coast competed in a special election Tuesday for the congressional seat once held by Randy "Duke" Cunningham, now in prison for bribery.
Brian Bilbray, a former congressman-turned-lobbyist who was the choice of the GOP establishment; Republican businessman Eric Roach, who spent $1.8 million of his own money; and Democrat Francine Busby were considered the front-runners.
Cunningham represented the House district from 1993 until he resigned in disgrace late last year. In March, the former Vietnam War fighter ace was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors.
Tuesday's race had a wide-open ballot, with 14 Republicans, two Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent. If no one got more than 50 percent of the vote, the top finisher from each party would compete in a runoff June 6.
The winner will serve out the remaining eight months of Cunningham's term, and will almost certainly try to hold on to the seat come November.
Republicans outnumber Democrats 3-to-2 in the wealthy district.
If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top finisher from each party competes in a June 6 contest, the same day as the primary for the midterm congressional elections.
An outright winner Tuesday or, more likely, the winner of the June contest takes a seat in Congress for the remaining eight months of Cunningham's term — and likely immediately begins campaigning to hold on to the seat come November.
With the GOP field crowded, Democrats hoped that Busby, who ran and lost to Cunningham in 2004, could score an upset, a prospect that her own campaign acknowledged was unlikely.
Voters faced an onslaught of negative campaign mailers and TV ads in the final hours before heading to the polls.
Bilbray, a surfer and one-time lifeguard, was attacked in a mailer from the California Republican Assembly, a grass-roots conservative group, that called Bilbray "a Democrat posing as a Republican."
The Bilbray campaign attacked Roach as a mystery man trying to buy an election. "His political campaign ads and mailers are everywhere. But until a few months ago, no one had ever heard of him," Bilbray's mailer said.
Former state Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian's campaign attempted to recover from an embarrassing misstep. Internet bloggers discovered that photos on his campaign Web site purportedly showing a tranquil Iraqi street scene had been taken in Istanbul, Turkey. The photos were removed.
With the GOP field busy attacking itself, national Republicans poured some $300,000 during the campaign's final week into TV ads criticizing Busby for accepting donations from lobbyists. A mailer from national Republicans claimed that the school board member and self-described soccer mom had voted to lay off teachers in 2003.
Busby retaliated by noting that Cunningham had given $2,000 of his campaign funds to national Republicans before he headed off to prison.
In her last election, the Nov. 2000 election, she got 56%.
* Dianne Feinstein Dem 5,932,522 55.9 Tom Campbell Rep 3,886,853 36.6 Diane B. Templin AmI 134,598 1.2 Medea Susan Benjamin Grn 326,828 3.1 Gail Katherine Lightfoot Lib 187,718 1.8 Brian M. Rees Nat 58,537 0.5 Jose Luis Camahort Ref 96,552 0.9
Boxer's a madwoman. We need a carefully selected candidate to face her. Sorry but Special K wouldn't stand a chance against her ruthless campaigning and mammoth war chest.
Yes, and hopefully we'll have someone more active than Bill Jones next time. Most of these 50th CD candidates seem to have worked harder for this special election than Jones did while running for Senate.
Good point, but this district is pretty Republican, 3-2 I believe. More people will come out to vote in principle, which should mean she gets a smaller percentage the second time around.
Howard can be ruthless, Im sure. lol
He just needs a TahRayZaa to bankroll him..
Are you sure? There are only 106,000 Dems registered in the district.
Democratic 106,926 Republican 159,547 American Independent 7,792 Green 2,425 Libertarian 2,280 Natural Law 694 Peace and Freedom 555 Other 1,840 Decline to State 77,804 Total Registered 359,863 http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/ror/154_2006/congressional.pdf
If this seat goes Dem it has to do with the Conservatives splitting their votes 8 way to Sunday vrs just a pair Democrat candidates. There is a lesson in this to Conservatives and Libertarians.
Tuesday's race had a wide-open ballot, with 14 Republicans, two Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent. If no one got more than 50 percent of the vote, the top finisher from each party would compete in a runoff June 6.
100%erism may feel good emotionally but it only results in political irrelevancy.
Yes, it runs from some precincts in nortern San Diego city to Carlsbad, and points inland. It does not take in the northern fringe of San Diego County (the most GOP part of the County), and none of Orange County.
The link to the 2004 election
http://vote2004.ss.ca.gov/Returns/usrep/5000.htm
she got the 36.5% in that race, pulled in 105,590 votes, looks like 10 dems didn't vote for her. probably dead. no wait, that wouldn't stop them from voting. ;-)
The votes have to be trucked down to beautiful downtown San Diego, and then run in the machine. It will be another hour yet, or more. The only mystery though, is Bilbray versus Roach, which is hardly an earth shaking event. Busby won't get 50%. More than 50% of the votes have already been counted.
what 50% have already been counted?
Seeing "Boxer", "mammoth", and "chest" in the same sentence just made me a little queasy, there.
I am currently on Sen. Morrow's e-mail list though I live here in Georgia because a good friend of mine in Mission Viejo recommended his site to me. I haven't regretted it since because I agree with many of his views, especially his stance against Illegal Immigration.
"The GOP erosion appears alive and well"
Right. Amazing how the self styled experts cannot see the obvious problem of a Republican feild split 14 ways vrs 2 Dems. But that right. This analysis seem far more a case of personal wishful thinking about "GOP Erosion" then reality.
Brian Bilbray was one of the nation's strongest voices on immigration. I'm shocked the "Republican establishment" supported him, but I sure hope he wins.
Yup. More than 50% of the voters vote absentee in special elections, in middle class Anglo districts. I vote absentee all the time. I get my ballot in the mail automatically in every election by mail, and mail it in. It is just so convenient.
Thanks! I'm so used to seeing lousy voter turnout it didn't look right. LOL.
I don't expect Busby to get 50%, but I am rather interested to see what she does end up with. The significance of 47% versus 37% is considerable.
Otherwise, I'm actually interested to see who wins the GOP nod.
The count's taking place at the Registrar's, on the north end of Kearny Mesa, just off the 15. Downtown's just the sho-biz site.
Whatever. Busby will probably get a higher percentage in the runoff. One would think with so many GOP candidates to choose from, that it would maximize the GOP vote. I am not saying it does, but the splinter theory as reducing the GOP vote doesn't appeal to me. What you need to do, is post your predictions in advance like I do, and then watch who is more accurate when the rubber meets the road. Just a suggestion. Shooting the messenger who solve whatever frustrations you have, or change anything, when it comes to elections results.
I don't know where that is. Is that near the Golden Triangle or something?
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