Posted on 10/25/2010 7:59:06 AM PDT by SmithL
While the California races for governor and U.S. Senate are hot, the battle for a single House seat in the East Bay and Central Valley has turned into a bellwether for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hopes of retaining her Democratic majority.
Both national political parties are pouring money into the contest between two-term incumbent Democrat and former windmill executive Rep. Jerry McNerney, 59 - who voted with Pelosi on the stimulus, the bank rescue, health care, and cap and trade - and Republican David Harmer, 48, a small-government conservative and son of a former California lieutenant governor under Ronald Reagan who has Tea Party backing.
The 11th Congressional District sprawls across four counties from Santa Clara to San Joaquin. In the northeast, Tracy has one of the nation's highest foreclosure rates, with 1 in every 63 homes facing foreclosure this year, according to RealtyTrac. Nearly 1 in 6 workers in San Joaquin County is unemployed. Democrats and Republicans in the district are split evenly, 39 to 39 percent, while 18 percent are independents who will decide the election.
The race pits two men of sharply different political philosophies: McNerney calls himself a pragmatist who brings federal funds back to his district; Harmer calls himself a "fan of freedom" whose priority is cutting the federal deficit.
McNerney is favored to win the East Bay, Harmer the valley. McNerney has a 3-to-1 cash advantage and boasts a "killer" ground operation; Harmer cites his lead in public polls. Both parties call the race a pure toss-up.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
windmill exec - you mean the ones on Altamont Pass, the
ones where half are on the ground and the other half are for sale?
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