California's 10th congressional district special election, 2009
Encyclopedia
California's 10th congressional district special election, 2009 was held on November 3, 2009, to fill the vacancy caused in California
's 10th congressional district
by the resignation of Ellen Tauscher
. Democratic Party candidate John Garamendi
won against Republican opponent David Harmer
.
Barack Obama
nominated Democratic
Representative
Ellen Tauscher for the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on June 26 and subsequently resigned from her congressional seat.
Following her resignation, Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
called a special election. An open primary
among candidates of all political parties took place on September 1, 2009; if one candidate had won a majority of the votes, he or she would have won the seat with no further action. As that didn't occur, the general election took place on November 3, 2009 between the candidates with the most votes for each party.
s published by the Secretary of State of California, and were thus eligible to receive votes in the special primary election.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's 10th congressional district
California's 10th congressional district
California's 10th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California in the East San Francisco Bay Area region of Northern California....
by the resignation of Ellen Tauscher
Ellen Tauscher
Ellen O'Kane Tauscher is an American politician and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs...
. Democratic Party candidate John Garamendi
John Garamendi
John Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
won against Republican opponent David Harmer
David Harmer
David Harmer is an American attorney from San Ramon, California. In 2010 Harmer ran for election to the United States House of Representatives from California's 11th Congressional District...
.
Background and procedures for election
On May 5, 2009, PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Democratic
California Democratic Party
The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority...
Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ellen Tauscher for the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 26 and subsequently resigned from her congressional seat.
Following her resignation, Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
called a special election. An open primary
Open primary
An open primary is a primary election that does not require voters to be affiliated with a political party in order to vote for partisan candidates. In a traditional open primary, voters may select one party's ballot and vote for that party's nomination. As in a closed primary, the highest voted...
among candidates of all political parties took place on September 1, 2009; if one candidate had won a majority of the votes, he or she would have won the seat with no further action. As that didn't occur, the general election took place on November 3, 2009 between the candidates with the most votes for each party.
Candidates
The following individuals appeared in the certified list of candidates and the certified list of write-in candidateWrite-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
s published by the Secretary of State of California, and were thus eligible to receive votes in the special primary election.
Democratic
- Tiffany René Estrella Attwood, a write-in candidate
- Joan BuchananJoan BuchananJoan T. Buchanan is a Democratic public official and former school board member from Alamo, California. She has been a member of the California State Assembly since December 2008...
, the State AssemblymemberCalifornia State AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
from the 15th districtCalifornia's 15th State Assembly districtCalifornia's 15th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Joan Buchanan.-District profile:Contra Costa County - 27.21%*Alamo*Bethel Island... - Mark DeSaulnierMark DeSaulnierMark James DeSaulnier is an American politician and a Democratic member of the California Legislature representing California's 7th State Senate district since December 2008. From 2006 to 2008, DeSaulnier represented California's 11th State Assembly district...
, the State SenatorCalifornia State SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
from the 7th districtCalifornia's 7th State Senate districtCalifornia's 7th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Mark DeSaulnier of Concord.-District profile:...
who was endorsed by Tauscher as her successor - John GaramendiJohn GaramendiJohn Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
, the Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of CaliforniaThe Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms... - Adriel HamptonAdriel HamptonAdriel Hampton was a candidate for the 2009 special election to replace Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher in the 10th congressional district of California, USA. He received 0.35% of the vote.-Early life:...
, a Government 2.0 blogger and investigator for the San Francisco City Attorney - Anthony WoodsAnthony WoodsAnthony “Tony” Christopher Woods is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, who was discharged from the United States Army in 2008 for violating the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. He subsequently ran for U.S. Congress in California's 10th congressional district to fill a vacant seat, in...
, an Iraq War Veteran and economic policy analyst
Republican
- Chris Bunch, a small business owner
- Gary W. Clift, a retired police officer
- David HarmerDavid HarmerDavid Harmer is an American attorney from San Ramon, California. In 2010 Harmer ran for election to the United States House of Representatives from California's 11th Congressional District...
, an independent businessman - Mark Loos, a small business owner
- David Peterson, an accountability system owner
- John Toth, a physician
General election
| Poll source | Date | John Garamendi | David Harmer | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | October 26–28, 2009 | 50% | 40% | 6% |