special election

Voters Hit The Polls In California's "Stripper Ad" Election

Benjy Sarlin | July 12, 2011, 5:50AM

CA-36 candidates Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R)

Southern California voters are hitting the polls Tuesday in California's 36th district to replace Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who left in the middle of her term to become president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The battle behind her, however, has been far from bookish, with great controversy stemming from a TV spot that portrayed one contestant as a stripper.

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CA-36

GOP Hopes For Upset In CA-36 Special Election

Benjy Sarlin | July 11, 2011, 5:50AM

CA-36 candidates Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R)

Expected to be a safe Democratic seat, California's 36th' District has become a heated battleground heading into Tuesday's special election.

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CA-36

NRCC Wades Into CA-36 With Messaging From Shocking Web Ad

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 23, 2011, 7:00AM

CA-36 candidates Craig Huey (R) and Janice Hahn (D)

The National Republican Congressional Committee may not be a fan of the way the shocking web ad targeting Democratic candidate Janice Hahn delivers its message in the CA-36 special election, but they've made it clear they approve of the attack behind the startling imagery.

Now they've put their money where their mouth is, launching an internet campaign that sells a toned-down version of the viral web video that had even Republican candidate Craig Huey's campaign crying foul.

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CA-36

NRCC: 'Give Us Your Cash, B--tch!' Web Ad Is A Bit Much, But It Makes A Great Point!

Ryan J. Reilly | June 16, 2011, 12:50PM

Republicans say Democratic congressional candidate Janice Hahn has hit "a new low" by alerting supporters to a conservative ad portraying her as a demonic stripper who is sexually assaulted by "gangsters" with automatic weapons.

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Craig Huey

CA-36 GOPer's Camp On Shocking Web Video: If We Could Wave A Magic Wand And Take It Down, We Would

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 15, 2011, 1:55PM

Jimmy Camp, campaign manager for Republican Craig Huey -- who's trying to pull off an upset win in the special election to replace retired Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) next month -- says he is as upset as anyone about the shocking web video a conservative PAC put up yesterday to help out his candidate.

"I don't know how we would get them to take something off the [YouTube]," Camp told TPM in an interview Wednesday. "If I could wave a magic wand and have it off, I would."

Camp condemned the content of the ad, which attacks Democratic candidate Janice Hahn and has been labeled "the most vile, racist, sexist ad we have ever seen" by Hahn endorser EMILY's List. He called the 90-second video "offensive" and "inappropriate," adding that "it has nothing to do with our campaign."

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CA-36

In CA-36, Democrat Calls For Blanket Condemnation Of Stunning New Web Ad (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 14, 2011, 6:24PM

Update: Republicans respond to web ad.

The special election to replace the retired Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) just took a turn for the spectacular. A new web video aimed at boosting the Republican chances for an upset win is
dropping jaws at the Democratic candidate's headquarters and prompting calls for a bipartisan condemnation of the shockingly negative attack.

The election pits Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) against businessman Craig Huey, a tea party Republican who's second place finish in one of California's first jungle primaries came as a surprise to most. The race to the July 12 runoff has fallen to the national backburner as attention shifted to the NY-26 race and a more general discussion of Rep. Paul Ryan's (R) budget plan.

That could be about to change, thanks to the web ad produced by the brand-new Turn Right USA PAC, which filed its official paperwork last week.

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CA-36

Dem Hahn's CA-36 Ad: GOPer Huey More Extreme Than Palin (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | June 6, 2011, 3:30PM

TV ad from CA-36 candidate Janice Hahn (D).

Janice Hahn, the Democratic candidate in the CA-36 special election to succeed Jane Harman, has a new ad tying her Republican opponent Craig Huey to several democratic bogeymen: Sarah Palin, the GOP plan to privatize Medicare, and extreme right-wing rhetoric.

"Sarah Palin and Craig Huey. Which would ban a woman's right to choose in every case?" the announcer asks. "Both Palin and Huey. Which supports a radical plan to end Medicare, but wants to give tax breaks to the wealthy? Both Palin and Huey again.

"But which one called Planned Parenthood a 'murder mill'? Only Craig Huey.

"We don't need Craig Huey's extremist, right-wing agenda. Janice Hahn will fight for our agenda -- common-sense solutions, create green jobs, and cut Washington spending while protecting Medicare."

The election will be held on July 12. The district in its current form is strongly Democratic, and has only been getting more so over the past decade: It voted 64%-36% for Barack Obama in 2008, 59%-40% for John Kerry in 2004, and 55%-37% for Al Gore in 2000.

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CA-36

Dem Hahn Vs. GOPer Huey For CA-36 Special Election Runoff

Eric Kleefeld | May 20, 2011, 9:45AM

CA-36 candidates Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R)

The runoff field is now set for the CA-36 special election, where Rep. Jane Harman (D) resigned her seat, with Democratic Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn set to face Republican businessman Craig Huey, after Democratic California Secretary of State Debra Bowen conceded the second slot to Huey Thursday night.

Huey winning the second slot is something of an upset, as the conventional wisdom had been that Hahn and Bowen would face each other in a Dem vs. Dem runoff. Then on Wednesday, with all election night ballots counted but over 9,800 absentees still outstanding, Huey had a narrow edge of 206 votes over Bowen. But with those remaining ballots being counted, Huey's lead over Bowen increased to over 750.

The runoff will be held on July 12. The district in its current form is strongly Democratic, and has only been getting more so over the past decade: It voted 64%-36% for Barack Obama in 2008, 59%-40% for John Kerry in 2004, and 55%-37% for Al Gore in 2000.

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CA-36

Dem Hahn Advances To CA-36 Runoff, With Close Race Between Dem and GOPer For Second Slot

Eric Kleefeld | May 18, 2011, 10:37AM

CA-36 candidates Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R)

The runoff field remains up in the air for the CA-36 special election, where Rep. Jane Harman (D) resigned her seat, with Democratic Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn set to face either Republican businessman Craig Huey -- or fellow Democrat, Secretary of State Debra Bowen -- for this deep-blue seat.

With 100% of precincts reporting, Hahn has 13,137 votes, for 24.7%; Huey has 11,648 votes, for 21.9%; and Bowen has 11,442 votes, for 21.5%. However, as the DCCC has noted in an e-mail to the press, there are over 9,800 absentee and provisional votes remaining to be counted, which could potentially put Bowen back ahead of Huey and result in a Dem vs. Dem runoff, in light of Huey's lead of only 206 votes for the second-place slot.

In case of a Dem vs. GOP runoff, it should be noted that the district in its current form is very blue, and has only been getting more so over the past decade: It voted 64%-36% for Barack Obama in 2008, 59%-40% for John Kerry in 2004, and 55%-37% for Al Gore in 2000.

As for Dan Adler, the Hollywood executive whose ads went viral online with such slogans as "We Minorities Should Stick Together," and "Dan Adler: He Gets Shit Done," with his young son declaring that "my dad gets shit done" -- he got only 285 votes, for 0.5%. It looks like maybe he doesn't "get shit done."

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CA-36

Poll: In Race To Replace Harman, Progressives Say They Have The Edge

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 22, 2011, 8:59AM

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and LA City Councilwoman Janice Hahn

A new poll from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee shows voters in the southern California district soon to be vacated by Rep. Jane Harman (D) are ready to support a candidate who's going to protect traditional entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

PCCC is national political group best known for its efforts to push the Democratic Party and its leaders to the left on issues like entitlements, taxes and military spending.

Harman is leaving Congress later this month to take a job leading a Washington think tank. Her departure will trigger a special election in the Los Angeles district Harman represents.

Several Democratic candidates have emerged to take Harman's seat, but two well-known candidates are seen as the front-runners: California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn. The PCCC poll shows Bowen ahead by four points, but also includes a "significant undecided" vote that PCCC says suggests the race is "wide open."

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CA-36

Harman Special Election To Test Out 'Top Two' Election System In California

Eric Kleefeld | February 7, 2011, 4:16PM

Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

The resignation of Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) will provide an interesting political science test case -- for a new electoral system in California.

In a referendum held during last year's primary, California's voters approved Proposition 14, which replaced the conventional party primaries with a different system known as Top Two, which has already been in use in Washington state for the past few years. (A similar system has been used for a long time in Louisiana, sometimes called the "jungle primary," but Washington state's version was the model used for California -- and in fact, Louisiana has scrapped the use of the jungle primary for federal races.)

Under this system, which took effect in January this year, all candidates will appear on the same ballot, with their respective party labels next to their names, and the top two voter-getters advancing to the general election. This system allows for the possibility of two Democrats or two Republicans facing off in very safe districts, which is thought to benefit more moderate candidates, though in statewide races and swing districts there will likely be one Dem vs. one GOPer.

A key feature of California's implementation of this system is that in regularly-scheduled elections, there will be a second round regardless of whether somebody were to get over 50% of the vote in the primary. For a special election such as this one to fill Harman's seat, however, a candidate who wins over 50% in the first round will not face a runoff, but will be elected immediately.

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