Kit Bobko, who is serving his second term on the Hermosa Beach City Council, told Patch on Sunday that he has his eyes set on filling .
Harman resigned from office in February to lead a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Bobko, 41, now joins and City Attorney Mike Webb as Republican candidates in the race to fill Harman’s seat.
L.A. City Councilwoman , California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and candidate , who has been union-backed in the past, are Democratic candidates.
The 36th Congressional District includes Hermosa Beach.
“I’m going to Washington to take on the establishment politicians who think we can borrow and spend our way to growth,” Bobko said in a statement Sunday.
Bobko, who has lived in Hermosa Beach for 11 years and serves as a litigation partner at a Los Angeles law firm, hopes to appeal to voters by touting a fiscal conservative message and promising to fight on taxpayers’ behalf.
“Folks don’t want more expensive government programs or more red tape, and they certainly don’t want more taxes,” Bobko said. “What people tell me is that they want the bureaucrats and politicians to get out of their way so they can grow their business, keep more of the money they earn, and save for their families.”
During Bobko’s terms on City Council, he has been outspoken about public pension reform and serves on the . He is also proud that the city hasn’t faced a deficit during his tenure, he said.
“Other candidates and politicians talk about being fiscal conservatives and talk about their willingness to tackle the tough issues. My record shows I don’t talk—I do,” Bobko said. “I took on reforming public pensions before it was capturing headlines. I could see our system was unsustainable because we were making obligations with money we did not have and could not get. That had to change.”
Bobko, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, also points to his experience as an Air Force captain as leverage in his campaign. Bobko’s father was also a career Air Force fighter pilot.
“As a veteran, I bring a perspective the other candidates don’t have,” Bobko said. “I understand first-hand the sacrifices our men and women in uniform, and their families, make for us.”
No date has been set yet for the 36th Congressional District's special election.
