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Tiffany Renee
By LORI A. CARTER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Tiffany Renee has made it official. She’s making a bid for Congress.
A Petaluma city councilwoman since 2008, Renee formally announced Tuesday that she will seek election in the 2nd Congressional District in November 2012, a seat that will be vacated by the retirement of longtime Rep. Lynn Woolsey.
Renee, 39, a Democrat, becomes the fourth candidate — the first one from Sonoma County — to announce a bid for the seat.
She joins three Marin-based Democrats — Assemblyman Jared Huffman, activist Norman Solomon and county Supervisor Susan Adams — vying to represent voters in the newly redesigned coastal congressional district.
Renee describes herself as a “progressive environmentalist, urban homesteader and locavore.”
In a statement announcing her intentions, Renee said her “experience as a problem solver and collaborator” sets her apart.
“Right now Congress is more concerned with winning small political victories than providing real solutions to our great economic, social and environmental challenges,” the statement said.
The North Coast’s two congressional districts were dramatically altered in maps approved July 29 by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, putting Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Cotati in an inland district that includes Napa County. The maps are set to be finalized Aug. 15.
Most of the rest of Sonoma County, including Renee’s base in Petaluma, is in a coastal district that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, expanding the compact Sonoma-Marin district represented by Woolsey.
Thompson, a seven-term incumbent, has not said which district he will run in next year. His redesigned district is cut off from the North Coast, which he has represented in Congress since 1999 and for eight years before that in the state Senate.
Renee starts off well behind in the pursuit of campaign funds in a race some say could cost $1 million to win.
Huffman, D-San Rafael, had raised more than $270,000 as of the June 30 reporting date, more than twice as much as Solomon. The Marin County political activist and author reported $130,597 in donations.
Adams, who announced her official candidacy in early July, reported $6,270 in donations.
Woolsey, who still had $58,695 in cash on hand at the end of 2010, has said she will not make an endorsement in the race.
Renee, the first Latina elected to the Petaluma City Council, owns her own web design company. She sits on several local and regional committees. She is married to Jaimey Walking Bear, who ran for the Petaluma school board last fall, and has two college-age daughters.
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UPDATE POSTED 9/8/11
Watch a video of Tiffany Renee speaking to Mendocino County Democrats on Labor Day
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@Western Cluebird says: We had a clear choice to vote for last year- his name was Jim Judd.
In YOUR opinion. Not so clear to me.
@ dan roberts,
We had a clear choice to vote for last year- his name was Jim Judd.
for the first time in years, i plan to give the sonoma county voters a clear choice for congress: fiscal conservative/moderate on all social issues. as opposed to tiffiny i had prior federal service when it mattered and long financial experience when now it matters. for a change i will run as a republican. look for my position pieces which will run in the local press. pls look at :danrobertsforcongress.com
I say give the woman a chance. More power too her for stepping up. If you don’t like her, run yourself.
Frightening- the thought of her in Congress
Sad- the extent of her delusion
Funny- her “exploratory committee” encouraging her
Hey!
Madame DeFarge is running for Congress.
Liberte, egalite, fraternite.
Baloney.
I’ll either support Solomon or Huffman for Congress. Short of that, it would be Susan Adams. Renee will NEVER have my support nor the support of many progressives, despite what her delusions might portray. Not only is she ill-prepared for the job, but she’s also sort of scary. No progressive in Petaluma would ever say so simply for fear of some form of retaliation. Make no mistake, Tiffany is all about Tiffany and council was simply a stepping stone for her own political ambitions. I suspect she will soon wake up when she realizes few endorsements or donations will come her way. Perhaps this is simply a way for her to get some publicity for her next run…..the same way she failed in her first run. Unfortunately though, she has a record she can’t walk away from and pretending to be a Latina won’t help. How is she more Latino than French Canadian? Neither of her parents or grandparents have latino last names so the question is how far would one have to go back and how far should one be able to go back to call themselves Latina? I mean, we could all just as easily call ourselves African since that’s ultimately where we all came from, right? PLEASE. Enough of the lies Tiffany. You are simply exploiting latinos for your own selfish purposes. This latino isn’t buying it.
Great now we will have a home grown military expert in congress. Tiff you saved us from an attack by North Korea. We need your insight and experience solving world problems. You will be the first representative of the “Locavore” Party, a good balance to the Tea Party.
Who in the world will fund her campaign? All the money is going to the Huffman and Solomon camps. Are there people out there really willing to throw their $$$ away on a campaign that does not have even a slight chance of succeeding?
I’m sick of “politicians” flat out lying to get elected. I heard all of them toss out buzz words – “green”, “environmentalist”, “latina”, “etc. I DON’T care what she eats, what her race is, whether she believes in the fraud of “green” living. THEY ARE ALL LIARS! When are the Sheeple going to think as individuals rather than as a “group” arbitrarily assigned by one who wants their vote??
Think about it…a “latino” couldn’t possibly vote for a “Republican” because they are “anti-immigrant”. LIES! A “republican” only looks out for “corporations” and the “rich”. LIES! This is all about grouping people so they can manipulate.
Al Gore, the global warming god, flies around in a private jet and lives in a house 10 times the size of an average person but preaches “green”. LIAR!! HYPOCRITE!! But yet, the Sheeple give him their money so he can continue living high on the hog.
Until people think as individuals instead of the group think based on whatever group the politicians say they are in, nothing will ever change.
I’m a freaking American! The only “group” that matters. I work, I pay taxes, I give to charities I decide I want to with MY earned money. Why do people want to point fingers across the aisle?? The problem IS BOTH SIDES. THEY BOTH SPEND MORE THAN THEY STEAL FROM US. Can you do that in your home? Can you spend 40% more than you earn month after month, year after year, and then demand more money from your boss?? Why do we let them????
Exactly, Cedric. I can picture Tiffany knitting away in the House chambers while fierce debates about the debt ceiling and two wars and healthcare reform rage on all around her. That is a scary thought.
The really sad thing about this district is that anyone with an understanding of the true needs of our area recognizes the results of past elections. Thus instead of gaining a candidate with a BALANCED approach to sustaining/expanding our job base and maintaining infrastructure with a conservationist attitude toward the environment which we all enjoy we get the extreme of all one way or none. Those choices have led us to a below par homogenous economic base, poor roads, and ineffective planning of future needs…all to satisfy a voter base of econazis and anti growth promoters.
A balance can be achieved here. Just not with these candidates.
Dogs rule; I’ll give you that one, but even a broken watch has the right time once a day.
Renee was elected to the city council on the the coat tails of Pam Torliatt & David Glass. She is incapeable of running on her own. This “flash in the pan” won’t even need a fire extinguisher.
Can’t you just see her knitting in DC?
She is exactly the type that the idiots voters send to Washington. It wouldn’t surprise me if she wins.
Her WWII boat comments should have made her a complete laughing stock and caused her to resign. Instead, in this soon to be gone country we once were proud to call the US but now are ashamed of to the point we allow invaders to fly ANOTHER COUNTRY’S flag (!!!!), she runs to REPRESENT the people.
We were great at one time. Now, due to lunatics who spend 40% more than they take in AND DEMAND MORE, we are “represented” by people who want to destroy what was once the greatest country ever assembled.
The world will collapse when a Communist dictatorship that believes in complete government control is the sole super power.
That’s it… I’m signing my cat up to run for congress. Seriously? I’m hoping a tweaker from Mendo County who only eats from 7/11 and doesn’t own shoes signs up to run. At least the debate will be interesting.
Apparently Ms. Renee believes that there is nothing in Petaluma that requires her attention so that she can devote herself to attempting a run at a Congressional seat in a soon to be redrawn district in which she has ZERO name recognition outside of Petaluma. And the label “progressive, environmentalist locavore” combined with her political and practical eccentricities is not going to play well outside of her little enclave of power in Petaluma.
Once her rear end is thoroughly kicked in the primary process she will no doubt re-focus on Petaluma and getting herself re-elected her…. just like her mentor Pam Torliatt did when she failed miserably in her overreach for the Assembly.
She may not be great for Congress but you have to respect her for being the ONLY City Council member who called out Dan Fish and John Brown (who run Petaluma) for throwing Dave Sears and his job under the bus. When the Police Chief is allowed to demote his only competition – that’s sick. She spoke out against that and I respect her for that.
Can we please buck the trend of absolute and total failure of California voting in Democrats? Your guilty conscience may force you to vote democratic. But deep down you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican who will lower taxes, brutalize criminals and rule over you like a King!
If Tiffany’s campaign is about her being a urban homesteader and locavore, does that mean if someone in Petaluma go on vacation, she will occupy their house and declare it hers as she is an urban homesteader?
Also, is “locavore” another term for Lucifer? That may fit right into her campaign.
Spot on comments so far !
She’s even throwing the “first latina” thing into the mix… pathetic.
Maybe the Republicans can offer up a breathing common sense soul who can walk and chew gum at the same time to beat the likes of Renee. It wouldn’t take much.
But she has a long way to go in the primary to finish in the top ten. God help the citizens of Petaluma. Tiffany Renee certainly won’t.
You are killing me! LOL! A locavore is a person interested in eating food that is locally produced, not moved long distances to market. The locavore movement in the United States and elsewhere was spawned as interest in sustainability and eco-consciousness become more prevalent. Via Wiki
In any case… I find it hard to believe that she thinks with her experience she can be voted in. Why not donate this money to filling the pot holes?
LOCAVORE DEFINED:
Someone who only eats insane things, like locally grown humanely raised pillbug larva.
In a Sentencs:
Tiff went to the farmer’s market and bought some homemade spider eyeball jam. She’d made a real effort this year to be a locavore.
Tiffany “Gun Boat” Renee is way over her head running for Congress. What is her platform, more government, more government spending, more socialism? That is exactly what is not needed in this country and in Sonoma County at this time.
This is a joke isn’t it??? What is her base, the socialist workers party.
To say she needs more seasoning, is an understatement. The demos need to look to someone who can at least make a showing in an election.
“Renee describes herself as a progressive environmentalist, urban homesteader and locavore.”
Aw Tiffany, can you pick three more tired themes? Have some imagination for crying out loud. You sound like an uninteresting person trying desperately to be interesting. If you’re going to pull “urban homesteading” out of your hat you may as well have pulled out “fire walking” or something. And another thing, no one says “locavore.” No one even wants to know a person who says “locavore,” let alone vote for them.
You were probably the last person in high school to get acid washed jeans, just as they were going out of style.
Each new candidate is more leftist of the left. At this rate we will all fall Pacific Ocean before the election. Please isn’t there one radical centralist that will jump into this fray?