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Jared Huffman
By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, says he has raised more than $120,000 for a potential run for the Sonoma-Marin congressional seat, a race that could cost more than $1 million to win.
Huffman, who will be termed out of the state Assembly in 2012, announced in December that he will seek the seat held by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, if Woolsey does not run for an 11th term.
“I want people to see what I am doing,” Huffman said in declaring the cash results of his three-month-old campaign.
Norman Solomon
“That looks formidable,” said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist, adding that Huffman’s cash “puts him at the front of the pack.”
Estimating that it will take at least $600,000 to compete in a wide-open 6th Congressional District race, McCuan said Huffman already has one-fifth of the money.
Winning the seat Woolsey has had locked up since 1992 will cost $800,000 to $1.2 million, McCuan said.
“There are only a few individuals who can raise that kind amount of money,” he said.
In 2006, when Woolsey faced a primary election challenge from Democrat Joe Nation, she spent $1.4 million. Nation, who then held the Assembly seat now occupied by Huffman, spent nearly $720,000 and got only 34 percent of the vote.
“We haven’t ramped up yet,” Huffman said, noting that he has held small fund-raising events but issued no mail or email appeals for support.
More than 70 percent of his donations come from individuals living within the 6th Congressional District, he said.
Federal campaign finance records show only a single $5,000 contribution to Huffman’s campaign from a labor group, and Huffman said an extensive list of donations will appear on his report to be filed April 15.
Norman Solomon, a Marin County political activist and author, also is running for the congressional seat on the assumption that Woolsey will step down.
Woolsey, who will turn 75 in 2012, said in December that she would announce her plans in June.
Solomon, well known in the ranks of progressive Democrats, said he is in the midst of dozens of fund-raising events that have generated “lots of relatively small checks.”
He declined to say last week how much he has raised, and intends to announce the total next month.
Solomon, an Inverness resident, agreed that it could cost $1 million to win the congressional race. Asked if he could raise that much, Solomon said, “Absolutely.”
McCuan said that Huffman grabs a strategic advantage with his early fund-raising for an election 14 months away. “It’s all about positioning,” he said, and Huffman’s cash “sends a message to other donors and other candidates.”
Huffman also gets a bump in the June, 2012 election because it is an open primary, following voter approval of Proposition 14 last year, McCuan said.
The top two vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will square off in the general election, a scheme that favors candidates with name recognition, such as current and recent officeholders, McCuan said.
Assuming two Democrats emerge from the 6th District primary, the more moderate one has an edge in the fall election because of the liklihood of collecting votes from Republicans and independents, McCuan said.
Democrats dominate the 6th District with 54 percent of registered voters, while both Republicans and independents account for 21 percent.
No Republicans have come forward as candidates in the 6th District.
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Wow, it appears one must be either a “extreme progressive” or “radical progressive” to win in this district. I’d really like to see a candidate who understands the function of government, and can apply the knowledge in a reasonable and appropriate manner and not be extreme or radical on behalf of any ideology, and I don’t much care if there is there is a D or a R after their name. If we keep going with the status quo, we’re headed no where fast and we will all suffer the consequences, whether progressive or not.
Huffman’s attack on outrageous medical insurance company price gouging again shows that he is a leader not afraid to address the status quo and right the wrongs that we’ve been forced to put up with!
Norm Solomon is the “true” radical left progressive that the North Bay needs and will hold the progressive line much better than Lynn Woolsey’s weak and often moderate record. Solomon is simply better than Woolsey if you are a real progressive. He even had the courage to criticize her for endorsing moderate Jane Harman and voting for TARP. Norman will battle the moderates and we’ll soon be asking, “Lynn who?” Go Norman!
Norman Solomon is a solid progressive that has a deep grasp of the global/national environmental, energy, economic, militaristic, social support crisis facing our nation. His writings and publications amply demonstrate his qualifications to be an effective, clear spoken, energetic progressive congressional representative for Sonoma and Marin Counties. He is a much needed remedy in congress to save the protective/empowerment functions of our federal government. Let’s all get behind and support Norman.
Norman Solomon is the best man for the job, because he is not only a true-blue progressive with a heart of gold, but he has the intellectual chops to serve as the Congressional spokesman for the progressive movement. Norman can articulate the progressive world view and give a national audience a good reference point.
Norman understands something that the conservative movement knows well, and which many Democrats need to get: you can compromise on tactics but you can’t comromise on core principles. There are times when no deal is better than a bad deal. Norman gets that. Solomon in 2012!
Norman Solomon is the man who would best represent the many social ills of our time. He has great insights which he keenly expresses, being able to connect with people from all walks of life. I believe he shall have a stronger voice for us in Congress because he has the courage, the conviction and the ability to connect with those having opposing views and actually change their mindset.
Huffman has been an outstanding state legislator and leader with great vision on a number of different issues including healthcare reform – even though his background has been in environmental policy and law.
Of all these choices, he has certainly shown that he would be most able to lead, for the first time giving Sonoma County two strong congressional leaders (Mike Thompson has also been outstanding).
Norman Solmon has been an organized, genuine, hard working, committed and passionate activist in the national and Bay Area regional Anti-War movement(s), the 2006-2008 Bush/Cheney impeachment movement (Kucinich’s HR 333), Healthcare Reform movement and other progressive efforts to authentically restore the People’s voice to national government.
I’ve heard him speak numerous times and read much of his writings. He is not a party machine puppet or sycophant who will humbly do what the party elders & attendant drones command. Not at all. Norman is a terrific individual, thinker and activist. Winograd is a teacher & citizen who has inspired countless of Democrats and acdtivists over the last decade. Go Norman, Go!
I had a chance to hear Huffman and felt a disconnect as he continued to point fingers at Republicans for all the problems in CA, regardless of the obvious fact that the legislators have been primarily Democratic for decades. Pointing fingers and refusing to take responsibility for any part of our state’s current financial woes will never solve a thing. Just the fact he would verbally go there in front of his constituents shows the lack of respect he has for those of us who are not Democrats and/or a lack of confidence that he would attract people outside of his political base.
Because he is unable or unwilling to reach out across the isle, is a sure sign that he is more concerned about his Democratic title rather than the problems that face California….Democrats and Republicans alike. Our problems effect us as individuals, not as R’s or D’s. The majority of our failures are due to the politics as usual thinking on all sides and until people get it….they might as well embrace failure as well as their contribution to it.
To the last three posts supporting Solomon,although I respect you for your position and support for Mr.Solomon, I personally don’t think he would have a chance to win a congressional seat nor would he represent the districts constituency on a whole. The Progressive movement is far too left for even the majority Democratic voters.
Mr. Solomon has a history of integrity, clear thinking and desire to serve people, not corporate interests.
Norm Solomon is an outstanding candidate–progressive, knowledgsble, and savvy.
Jared will be a strong candidate if he runs and would be a strong voice for his/our progressive base. I hate to see Congresswoman Woolsey retire but she’s earned it.
Unless the new person is from Sonoma county, she/he will not pay any attention to us, except to collect money. Let’s just keep Woolsey.
Yesterday,speaking at the Santa Rosa J.C.
about the budget cuts and their impact on public education, Jared Huffman said “Why are we here and why does this feel like Deja Vu?” and “If there is a spending problem, I wish I could be a part of it”.
Then he said “As we dealt with this crisis, we havn’t been entirely honest. We’ve used temporary borrowing, shifting and gimmicks. An 18 billion deficit was advertised as ballanced when actually it was about 7 billion short.”
It is a 26 billion dollar crisis now.
Then he went on to blame republicans as the entire panel did repeatedly. Two panel members were missing. One called in sick, and Larry Haenel was a no show.
Jared Huffman seems like another progressive politician who will continue to hide the facts and distort the truth while condeming republicans for wanting to address the problem before it gets to the crisis stage.
This is what has gotten us into this mess and keeps us stuck in it. A lack of accountability combined with a willingness to cover up the truth is a recipe for disaster. It is Deja Vu because this is what Woolsey and other progressives have done for many years with the exact same results.
The scary thing is, he is probably better than Norman Solomon!
Maybe someday the majority of California voters will figure it out and help restore California to fiscal health,sound principles and honest discourse and stop spending our childrens future away.
In the meantime, the public employee unions are allready enriching their favorite progressives, while they are losing jobs and the state is broke.
Deja Vu, indeed!
Huffman has several advantages going into this race, including that 100% of his Assembly district is going to be in the Congressional district under likely redistricting scenarios. He won over 70% from those same voters a few months ago. No other potential candidate is anywhere near as well positioned.