California's 32nd congressional district special election, 2009
Encyclopedia
California's 32nd congressional district special election, 2009 occurred on July 14, 2009, to fill the vacancy in California
's 32nd congressional district
. The election was won by Democrat
Judy Chu
, who became the first Chinese American
woman elected to serve in Congress.
's resignation to become Secretary of Labor
following her confirmation on February 24, 2009. The election was called to fill the rest of her term, which on January 3, 2011.
On March 10, Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
called for the special primary election
to be held on May 19, the same day as a statewide special election
. If a candidate received the majority of votes in the primary election he or she would have been declared the winner and no runoff would have been held. Since no candidate won a majority, the candidates that won the most votes in each party appeared on the ballot for the general runoff election, held on July 14.
State Senator
(and former Majority Leader) Gloria Romero, whose 24th State Senate district
overlaps the congressional district, became the first politician to express interest in running for the open seat. On December 18, 2008, the day that Solis's selection first became known, Romero said, "I have deep roots, and I would certainly give it every consideration. Definitely, I am interested". The same State Senate seat was previously held by Solis. Of the many possible contenders, Romero said, "I can beat them all". However, on January 8, Romero decided not to run for the seat, opting to try for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
instead.
On December 22, Judy Chu
, Chair of the State Board of Equalization
, announced that she would run in the special election. She said, "I've decided to heed those calls [of supporters]. I know this district very, very well and I believe the people of this district know me and know I'm very devoted to the San Gabriel Valley
". The congressional district makeup was 48% Latino and 13% Asian. She began campaigning heavily, and captured the endorsements of several San Gabriel Valley politicos. (The following month, Chu became Vice Chair of the Board of Equalization.)
On January 8, 2009, State Senator Gil Cedillo
announced he was running. He was endorsed by Romero once she decided not to run, and the race was largely viewed as a contest between Chu and Cedillo. Cedillo collected the endorsements of several local mayors.
On January 7, the day before, Emanuel Pleitez, a 26-year-old member of the Barack Obama presidential transition team for the U.S. Treasury Department
, had declared his intentions to run. A young banker who left Goldman Sachs
, Pleitez is a native of the district. Pleitez ran a more grassroots campaign, relying on a steady flow of volunteers and various individuals making any contribution to his efforts. The Huffington Post
said if elected, he would become the second member of the Millennial
generation to serve in Congress. By late March, the Pleitez campaign had about 20 full-time staffers and many volunteers; it was also the first campaign of the 32nd Congressional district to open a campaign office, and launched a modern website before any candidate.
By late January, Blanca Rubio, president of the Baldwin Park Unified School District Board of Education, also said she was running. However, she was not mentioned in subsequent press reports about the election. In late March, she said she was withdrawing from the race for family reasons and endorsed Chu.
Others who had been mentioned as possible candidates for the seat included Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon
, his brothers Senator Ronald S. Calderon
and former Assemblyman Thomas M. Calderon (both Ronald and Thomas Calderon subsequently declined to run and endorsed Cedillo instead),Gil Cedillo for Congress - Endorsements Assemblyman Edward Hernandez
(who subsequently declined to run and endorsed Chu instead), Chu's husband, Assemblyman Mike Eng
, and former Assemblyman Ed Chavez (who subsequently declined to run and endorsed Cedillo instead). Candidates from outside the congressional district were also permitted by law.
No major Republicans indicated that they would run in the special election. The Republican who were candidates were former Covina
mayor David Truax, accountant Jim Hetzel, and business owner Teresa Hernandez. Hetzel and Hernandez were political newcomers, and these were the first Republicans to vie for the seat since 2002.
As the only Libertarian Party
candidate, Christopher Agrella, a businessman, was guaranteed to move on to any general election from the primary. Agrella said his top priorities if elected would be to bring about real government accountability, balance the federal budget by cutting out waste, and repeal the federal tax code in its entirety.
Turnout in special elections is almost always low, and support from organized labor was seen as crucial in helping to get out a candidate's vote. On January 26, Chu received the coveted endorsement of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Cedillo replied that he had a long association with the labor movement and that, "At the end of the day, people know me as a public servant who delivers and not as a politician." Somewhat ironically, all of this campaign activity had taken place before there was any official vacancy in the seat, as Solis's confirmation process was being held up in the United States Senate
. Solis herself decline to endorse any of the potential replacements for her, although Chu suggested that the congresswoman would prefer her.
On February 24, 2009, the special election finally became a certainty, with Solis's long confirmation process coming to a successful close.
Chu formally announced her candidacy on February 27, stating, "It occurred to me this seat would open, and who could carry on ... [Solis'] desire to represent the constituents?"
Cedillo formally announced his candidacy on March 7 at a rally in El Monte
.
The first candidates' forum was held on March 19 in Cypress Park, Los Angeles
, sponsored by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. Only Cedillo, Chu, and Pleitez were invited. By late March, Cedillo and Chu had each raised several hundred thousand dollars and were widely viewed as the frontrunners. A fellow of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government
characterized the contest by saying: "When people talk about this race, there's Cedillo and Chu, then there's Pleitez, and then there's everybody else."
Through the end of March, Chu had raised $770,000, Cedillo $568,000, and Pleitez $153,000. One political analyst commented ruefully, "It does not take a lot of money in these low turn out races, but that doesn't mean a lot of money isn't going to be spent."
By April 6, the official filing deadline for the primary, twelve candidates had filed for the race, comprising eight Democrats, three Republicans, and one Libertarian. Chu and Cedillo were still considered the front-runners, with each having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for their campaigns. Judy Chu's task was complicated by the appearance of her cousin-in-law, Betty Tom Chu, a Republican Monterey Park City Council member and former mayor, on the ballot as well. Benita Duran entered the race as the last candidate for the 32nd Congressional district. She was the former deputy district director for Solis' congressional office and staged a grassroots campaign for the seat.
By early May, Cedillo and Chu were battling each other via campaign mailers, with Cedillo putting out attacks on Chu that included unrelated headlines from articles about the financial crisis of 2007–2010. Cedillo also put out a mailer against Pleitez that represented one of the first uses of in American politics of Facebook
photographs for opposition research
and negative campaigning
. Cedillo's material likened Pleitez's socializing to Animal House and accused Pleitez of flashing gang signs. Chu had the endorsement of Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa
. While Solis herself continued to remain neutral, Solis' husband, parents, and siblings all endorsed Chu.
dubbed the race "The Chu Chu train" in reference to the same last names of the two major candidates, while a campaign consultant referred to it as "The Chu-Chu runoff". With expected turnout at the 10 percent level, one analyst dismissed the possible name confusion effect on voters: "When you’re dealing with that low of turnout, you’re dealing with a sophisticated, knowledgeable electorate." Despite their relation by marriage, the two women did not know each other well nor like each other. Judy Chu accused Betty Tom Chu of dropping the "Tom" from her name in order to play further upon the name similarity, a charge that Betty Chu denied.
At a June 23 debate featuring the three candidates, the two Chus presented conflicting views on term limits, the Employee Free Choice Act
, and universal health care
. Following the debate, while Betty Chu remained in the area, Judy Chu flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with Democratic leaders, indicating her confidence in winning the race.
With the election looming, Judy Chu has actually downsized her headquarters, again signaling her confidence in winning the heavily democratic district. On the other side, Betty Chu opened a campaign headquarters, and Libertarian candidate Christopher Agrella operated his low-tech campaign out of a storage shed. While Judy Chu was considered to be the clear front-runner, she said she was not taking anything for granted; much of her campaigning involved phone calls to voters and fundraising. Betty Chu also worked to raise funds and to get her message out, telling voters that she had a great deal of experience as a long-time attorney, banker, entrepreneur, and elected official. Agrella continued to run what he called a "shoe-string" campaign, trying to get his name known in the district.
A forum, sponsored by the American Legion
, was held between Betty Chu and Christopher Agrella. Judy Chu was originally scheduled to participate but dropped out to do a fundraiser. Judy Chu also did not attend a forum sponsored by Looking Green, leading to the cancellation of the forum, since the remaining candidates felt it was unnecessary due to their similar positions on the issues. The Judy Chu campaign explained their reason for not attending was to spend the last days of the campaign contacting voters and making sure they show up for the election, which was expected to have low turnout.
Fundraising reports indicated that Judy Chu had raised $1.3 million from individuals (constituting about three-quarters), PACs, and unions. The amount was more than expected and budgeted for the race by the campaign. The campaign indicated that $1 million was spent in the primary, and $200,000 spent in the general election.
Betty Chu spent around $75,000 on efforts to get her name known in the district with billboards, mailers, and TV ads. Much of the spent monies were personal loans. The Betty Chu campaign missed one filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission
.
With turnout expected not to be higher than 10%, or 25,000 or so votes, both Chus were working to ensure their constituents turned out on election day. The general election was considered less relevant than the primary by the voters, with the Judy Chu campaign acknowledging that many of the voters they had talked to thought the primary in May was the end of the election. While Judy Chu was pushing to ensure loyal Democrats come to the polls, Betty Chu worked to get Republicans, unmotivated to show up by the district's Democratic tilt, to flock to the polls and perhaps pull off a long-shot upset. Over 10,000 absentee ballots were filed, with about half from Democrats, a third from Republicans, and the remaining from unaffiliated voters.
Campaign websites of run-off candidates
Former candidates:
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 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers East Los Angeles and includes El Monte, Monterey Park and West Covina in Greater Los Angeles....
. The election was won by Democrat
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...
Judy Chu
Judy Chu
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
, who became the first Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
woman elected to serve in Congress.
Background and procedures
The election resulted from Hilda SolisHilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
's resignation to become Secretary of Labor
United States Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
following her confirmation on February 24, 2009. The election was called to fill the rest of her term, which on January 3, 2011.
On March 10, 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 for the special primary election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to be held on May 19, the same day as a statewide special election
California state special elections, 2009
The California state special elections, 2009 were held on May 19, 2009 throughout the state of California. The elections were authorized by the State Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a part of a budget signed into law on February 19, 2009...
. If a candidate received the majority of votes in the primary election he or she would have been declared the winner and no runoff would have been held. Since no candidate won a majority, the candidates that won the most votes in each party appeared on the ballot for the general runoff election, held on July 14.
Candidates
A total of 13 candidates registered for the special election, of which only three qualified for the runoff general election. One additional candidate registered only for the general election.Democratic
- Francisco Alonso, former Mayor of Monterey ParkMonterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
- Gil CedilloGil CedilloGilbert Anthony Cedillo is a politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving in the California State Assembly....
, the State SenateCalifornia 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 22nd districtCalifornia's 22nd State Senate districtCalifornia's 22nd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Kevin de León of Los Angeles. The 22nd Senate district encompasses a part of Los Angeles County, including all of Alhambra, Maywood, San Marino, South Pasadena, Vernon, and Walnut Park,... - Judy ChuJudy ChuJudy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
, member of the State Board of EqualizationState Board of Equalization (California)The State Board of Equalization is a public agency charged with tax administration and fee collection in the state of California in the United States. The areas of authority of the Board fall into four broad areas: sales and use taxes, property taxes, special taxes, and acting as an appellate body...
from the fourth district - Benita Duran, a former aide to Hilda Solis
- Stefan Lysenko, an independent filmmakerIndependent filmAn independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
- Nick Mostert, an attorney and legislative analyst
- Rafael Nadal, a businessman and field representative
- Emanuel Pleitez, an economic advisor
Republican
- Betty Chu, a member of the Monterey ParkMonterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
City Council - Teresa Hernandez, a businesswoman
- Larry Scarborough, a write-in candidate for the primary election
- David Truax, a businessman
Primary campaign
The campaign to replace Solis began as soon as her nomination to Obama's cabinet was announced.State Senator
California State Senate
The 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...
(and former Majority Leader) Gloria Romero, whose 24th State Senate district
California's 24th State Senate district
California's 24th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Edward Hernández of West Covina.-District profile:...
overlaps the congressional district, became the first politician to express interest in running for the open seat. On December 18, 2008, the day that Solis's selection first became known, Romero said, "I have deep roots, and I would certainly give it every consideration. Definitely, I am interested". The same State Senate seat was previously held by Solis. Of the many possible contenders, Romero said, "I can beat them all". However, on January 8, Romero decided not to run for the seat, opting to try for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction of California is the nonpartisan elected executive officer of the California Department of Education. The SPI directs all functions of the Department of Education and executes policies set by the California State Board of Education...
instead.
On December 22, Judy Chu
Judy Chu
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
, Chair of the State Board of Equalization
State Board of Equalization (California)
The State Board of Equalization is a public agency charged with tax administration and fee collection in the state of California in the United States. The areas of authority of the Board fall into four broad areas: sales and use taxes, property taxes, special taxes, and acting as an appellate body...
, announced that she would run in the special election. She said, "I've decided to heed those calls [of supporters]. I know this district very, very well and I believe the people of this district know me and know I'm very devoted to the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
". The congressional district makeup was 48% Latino and 13% Asian. She began campaigning heavily, and captured the endorsements of several San Gabriel Valley politicos. (The following month, Chu became Vice Chair of the Board of Equalization.)
On January 8, 2009, State Senator Gil Cedillo
Gil Cedillo
Gilbert Anthony Cedillo is a politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently serving in the California State Assembly....
announced he was running. He was endorsed by Romero once she decided not to run, and the race was largely viewed as a contest between Chu and Cedillo. Cedillo collected the endorsements of several local mayors.
On January 7, the day before, Emanuel Pleitez, a 26-year-old member of the Barack Obama presidential transition team for the U.S. Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
, had declared his intentions to run. A young banker who left Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
, Pleitez is a native of the district. Pleitez ran a more grassroots campaign, relying on a steady flow of volunteers and various individuals making any contribution to his efforts. The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
said if elected, he would become the second member of the Millennial
Generation Y
Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation , Generation Next, Net Generation, or Echo Boomers, describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when the Millennial generation starts and ends, and commentators have used birth dates ranging somewhere...
generation to serve in Congress. By late March, the Pleitez campaign had about 20 full-time staffers and many volunteers; it was also the first campaign of the 32nd Congressional district to open a campaign office, and launched a modern website before any candidate.
By late January, Blanca Rubio, president of the Baldwin Park Unified School District Board of Education, also said she was running. However, she was not mentioned in subsequent press reports about the election. In late March, she said she was withdrawing from the race for family reasons and endorsed Chu.
Others who had been mentioned as possible candidates for the seat included Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon
Charles M. Calderon
Charles M. Calderon began his second stint in the California State Assembly in 2006. He represents the 58th District, which includes the cities of Montebello, Pico Rivera, Hacienda Heights Rowland Heights, South San Gabriel, South San Jose Hills, Valinda and portions of City of Industry, Downey,...
, his brothers Senator Ronald S. Calderon
Ronald S. Calderon
Ronald Steven Calderon is the California State Senator from the 30th Senate District. He was elected to the Senate in 2006....
and former Assemblyman Thomas M. Calderon (both Ronald and Thomas Calderon subsequently declined to run and endorsed Cedillo instead),Gil Cedillo for Congress - Endorsements Assemblyman Edward Hernandez
Edward P. Hernandez
Edward P. Hernández is a California State Senate member representing the 24th district since 2010. Previously he served in the California Assembly, representing the 57th Assembly District from 2006 until he was term-limited in 2010. The district includes the cities of Azusa Baldwin Park Covina, La...
(who subsequently declined to run and endorsed Chu instead), Chu's husband, Assemblyman Mike Eng
Mike Eng
Michael "Mike" F. Eng was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2006 and represents the 49th District. He is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party...
, and former Assemblyman Ed Chavez (who subsequently declined to run and endorsed Cedillo instead). Candidates from outside the congressional district were also permitted by law.
No major Republicans indicated that they would run in the special election. The Republican who were candidates were former Covina
Covina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
mayor David Truax, accountant Jim Hetzel, and business owner Teresa Hernandez. Hetzel and Hernandez were political newcomers, and these were the first Republicans to vie for the seat since 2002.
As the only Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate, Christopher Agrella, a businessman, was guaranteed to move on to any general election from the primary. Agrella said his top priorities if elected would be to bring about real government accountability, balance the federal budget by cutting out waste, and repeal the federal tax code in its entirety.
Turnout in special elections is almost always low, and support from organized labor was seen as crucial in helping to get out a candidate's vote. On January 26, Chu received the coveted endorsement of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Cedillo replied that he had a long association with the labor movement and that, "At the end of the day, people know me as a public servant who delivers and not as a politician." Somewhat ironically, all of this campaign activity had taken place before there was any official vacancy in the seat, as Solis's confirmation process was being held up in 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...
. Solis herself decline to endorse any of the potential replacements for her, although Chu suggested that the congresswoman would prefer her.
On February 24, 2009, the special election finally became a certainty, with Solis's long confirmation process coming to a successful close.
Chu formally announced her candidacy on February 27, stating, "It occurred to me this seat would open, and who could carry on ... [Solis'] desire to represent the constituents?"
Cedillo formally announced his candidacy on March 7 at a rally in El Monte
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
.
The first candidates' forum was held on March 19 in Cypress Park, Los Angeles
Cypress Park, Los Angeles, California
Cypress Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles. It is located at the confluence of the Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco and is less than 2.5 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles...
, sponsored by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. Only Cedillo, Chu, and Pleitez were invited. By late March, Cedillo and Chu had each raised several hundred thousand dollars and were widely viewed as the frontrunners. A fellow of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government
Rose Institute of State and Local Government
The Rose Institute of State and Local Government is a research institute based out of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. Founded in 1973 by businesswoman, lawyer, feminist and activist Edessa Rose, the Rose Institute has developed a reputation as one of California's premier...
characterized the contest by saying: "When people talk about this race, there's Cedillo and Chu, then there's Pleitez, and then there's everybody else."
Through the end of March, Chu had raised $770,000, Cedillo $568,000, and Pleitez $153,000. One political analyst commented ruefully, "It does not take a lot of money in these low turn out races, but that doesn't mean a lot of money isn't going to be spent."
By April 6, the official filing deadline for the primary, twelve candidates had filed for the race, comprising eight Democrats, three Republicans, and one Libertarian. Chu and Cedillo were still considered the front-runners, with each having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for their campaigns. Judy Chu's task was complicated by the appearance of her cousin-in-law, Betty Tom Chu, a Republican Monterey Park City Council member and former mayor, on the ballot as well. Benita Duran entered the race as the last candidate for the 32nd Congressional district. She was the former deputy district director for Solis' congressional office and staged a grassroots campaign for the seat.
By early May, Cedillo and Chu were battling each other via campaign mailers, with Cedillo putting out attacks on Chu that included unrelated headlines from articles about the financial crisis of 2007–2010. Cedillo also put out a mailer against Pleitez that represented one of the first uses of in American politics of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
photographs for opposition research
Opposition research
Opposition research is:# The term used to classify and describe efforts of supporters or paid consultants of a political candidate to legally investigate the biographical, legal or criminal, medical, educational, financial, public and private administrative and or voting records of the opposing...
and negative campaigning
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
. Cedillo's material likened Pleitez's socializing to Animal House and accused Pleitez of flashing gang signs. Chu had the endorsement of Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
. While Solis herself continued to remain neutral, Solis' husband, parents, and siblings all endorsed Chu.
Primary results
In the May 19 primary, Democrat Judy Chu led all candidates, but failed to gain enough to prevent a runoff general election. Betty Chu qualified as the Republican candidate for the runoff and Christopher Agrella qualified as the Libertarian.General election campaign
Not much media attention was given to the general election race due to the district's heavily Democratic lean. The San Gabriel Valley TribuneSan Gabriel Valley Tribune
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune is the daily newspaper located in West Covina, California that serves the San Gabriel Valley. The Tribune is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of MediaNews Group...
dubbed the race "The Chu Chu train" in reference to the same last names of the two major candidates, while a campaign consultant referred to it as "The Chu-Chu runoff". With expected turnout at the 10 percent level, one analyst dismissed the possible name confusion effect on voters: "When you’re dealing with that low of turnout, you’re dealing with a sophisticated, knowledgeable electorate." Despite their relation by marriage, the two women did not know each other well nor like each other. Judy Chu accused Betty Tom Chu of dropping the "Tom" from her name in order to play further upon the name similarity, a charge that Betty Chu denied.
At a June 23 debate featuring the three candidates, the two Chus presented conflicting views on term limits, the Employee Free Choice Act
Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act was a legislative bill that was introduced into both chambers of the U.S. Congress on March 10, 2009. The bill's purpose was to,...
, and universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
. Following the debate, while Betty Chu remained in the area, Judy Chu flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with Democratic leaders, indicating her confidence in winning the race.
With the election looming, Judy Chu has actually downsized her headquarters, again signaling her confidence in winning the heavily democratic district. On the other side, Betty Chu opened a campaign headquarters, and Libertarian candidate Christopher Agrella operated his low-tech campaign out of a storage shed. While Judy Chu was considered to be the clear front-runner, she said she was not taking anything for granted; much of her campaigning involved phone calls to voters and fundraising. Betty Chu also worked to raise funds and to get her message out, telling voters that she had a great deal of experience as a long-time attorney, banker, entrepreneur, and elected official. Agrella continued to run what he called a "shoe-string" campaign, trying to get his name known in the district.
A forum, sponsored by the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, was held between Betty Chu and Christopher Agrella. Judy Chu was originally scheduled to participate but dropped out to do a fundraiser. Judy Chu also did not attend a forum sponsored by Looking Green, leading to the cancellation of the forum, since the remaining candidates felt it was unnecessary due to their similar positions on the issues. The Judy Chu campaign explained their reason for not attending was to spend the last days of the campaign contacting voters and making sure they show up for the election, which was expected to have low turnout.
Fundraising reports indicated that Judy Chu had raised $1.3 million from individuals (constituting about three-quarters), PACs, and unions. The amount was more than expected and budgeted for the race by the campaign. The campaign indicated that $1 million was spent in the primary, and $200,000 spent in the general election.
Betty Chu spent around $75,000 on efforts to get her name known in the district with billboards, mailers, and TV ads. Much of the spent monies were personal loans. The Betty Chu campaign missed one filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
.
With turnout expected not to be higher than 10%, or 25,000 or so votes, both Chus were working to ensure their constituents turned out on election day. The general election was considered less relevant than the primary by the voters, with the Judy Chu campaign acknowledging that many of the voters they had talked to thought the primary in May was the end of the election. While Judy Chu was pushing to ensure loyal Democrats come to the polls, Betty Chu worked to get Republicans, unmotivated to show up by the district's Democratic tilt, to flock to the polls and perhaps pull off a long-shot upset. Over 10,000 absentee ballots were filed, with about half from Democrats, a third from Republicans, and the remaining from unaffiliated voters.
General election results
External links
- California Target Book: January 27, 2009 (special election is first subject on page)
Campaign websites of run-off candidates
Former candidates: