Elton Gallegly retiring
by David Atkins
My local 25-year Republican House incumbent Elton Gallegly (CA26) is retiring. Never heard of him? Not surprising. In his 25 years, he's been one of the least accomplished representatives in Congress, earning almost his entire reputation on anti-immigrant rhetoric, which earned him a his recent appointment Chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
He is retiring due to last year's redistricting in California, which turned his ultra-safe seat into a Ventura County district with a 6% Democratic registration advantage. Gallegly has never had much of a work ethic, so it's not surprising he'd rather ride into the sunset than face a tough re-election bid. It's no lock for Dems, though--the new district barely voted for Meg Whitman over Jerry Brown in the last election. There are already five Democrats who have announced their intention to join the race, the biggest names among them being 1st District Supervisor Steve Bennett and Moorpark City Councilmember David Pollock. On the Republican side will likely be the execrable, virulently anti-tax and pro-polluter state senator Tony Strickland, with another Republican or two likely to join the field as well.
California recently moved to a top-two primary system, which means that the general election could be between any two candidates regardless of political party. It will be one of the most watched and hotly contested House races of the 2012 cycle, with significant consequences for immigration and tax policy in the U.S.
Tony Strickland and his wife Audra have taken some hits to their reputations over the last few years, but they're still formidable opponents. If Tony wins, he will quickly become one of the loudest and most detestable voices for the GOP's Objectivist agenda. Supervisor Bennett, by contrast, has done amazing work locally to increase access to education and healthcare, developed and passed some of the strongest anti-sprawl legislation in the country, and stringent campaign finance reform laws.
It will be a classic clash of values and priorities, and I look forward to being right in the middle of the fight.
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