Politics & Government

Field of 18 Competing for Vacant Congressional Seat

The candidates file nominating papers to appear on the May 17 special primary election ballot for the 36th Congressional District seat.

Six Republicans, five Democrats, one Libertarian, five candidates who stated no party preference and one Peace and Freedom Party member met the Friday deadline to appear on the to fill a vacant seat in Congress, according to the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office.

The candidates are vying to represent the 36th Congressional District that includes Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and other surrounding communities.

The seat became vacant after  office to join a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

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The candidates who are set to run include the following:

Democrats

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  • Daniel H. Adler, new media entrepreneur in Marina del Rey.
  • Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State.
  • Loraine Goodwin, physician, teacher, arbitrator of Madera.
  •  Los Angeles City Councilwoman.
  • Marcy Winograd, high school teacher and anti-war activist.

Republicans

  • , Hermosa Beach City Councilman.
  • Stephen Eisele, businessman and aerospace entrepreneur.
  • , Redondo Beach Mayor.
  • Craig Huey, small business owner.
  • George Newberry, real estate agent and retired military.
  • Mike Webb, Redondo Beach City Attorney.

Libertarian

  • Steve Collett, certified public accountant.

Peace and Freedom

  • Maria E. Montano, public school teacher.

No Party Preference

  • Matthew Roozee, business executive, mathematician.
  • Michael T. Chamness, non-profit consultant.
  • Katherine Pilot, Longshore office clerk.
  • Al Salehi, entrepreneur.
  • James L. Thompson, retired.

The list of candidates is tentative until the signatures gathered in lieu of filing fees for some candidates' nominating papers can be verified, said a spokeswoman with the county clerk's office.

Democrats have a distinct advantage in the 36th Congressional District, with 45.3 percent of the 347,812 registered voters identifying themselves as Democrats. Republicans trail with 27.5 of the electorate, while 22.3 percent of voters decline to state a party, according to the California Secretary of State's Office.

The election should be the first real application of the state's new "top two" election system that went into effect Jan. 1 after voters endorsed the changes when they passed Proposition 14 last year.

Under the new rules, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the May 17 primary, then the top two finishers will face each other in a July 12 special general election, even if they are from the same party.

Under the provisions of Proposition 14, the state also recognizes only six official political parties: Democratic, Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian and Peace and Freedom.

to stop implementation of the new rules because he must state that he has "no party preference," even though he is affiliated with the so-called Coffee Party, a 2-year-old political group that started on Facebook.

Who do you think should be elected to Congress? 


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