Bowen, Gin, Hahn, Winograd in crowded field for 36th Congressional District

The tone of political campaigns may divide voters as much as ever, even turn them off. But that hasn’t stopped 16 people from jumping into the special election to replace former Congresswoman Jane Harman, who quit a couple of months after her re-election last year to head a think tank.

At a recent candidates forum, the room fell silent as Kit Bobko took the microphone.

“Right off the bat, I want to clear something up," Bobko said solemnly. "There have been some rumors and innuendo swirling around my campaign.”

The handsome Hermosa Beach City Councilman looked out across a packed auditorium at Westminster Elementary School in Venice.

“I was, in fact, born in a small village in Kenya," he said.

People chuckled at the reference to the conspiracy theories about President Obama's birthplace, and Bobko's attempt to distinguish himself in a cacophony of candidates.

In this race, Secretary of State Debra Bowen may have the best name recognition. She once represented parts of this congressional district that stretches along the coast from San Pedro to Santa Monica in the state legislature.

“I’m known for my work on election reform, government transparency, consumer protection and protecting the environment," Bowen told the crowd. "I don’t back down. My spine does not collapse anywhere."

Bowen shares many of the same views with the other well-known Democrat running, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn. But party bigwigs like U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein and powerful labor unions back Hahn, who comes from a political family that includes former L.A. Mayor Jim Hahn (her brother) and the late L.A. County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn (her father).

“I’m to Congress so that we can end these wars, and we can bring that money back to invest here in America," Hahn said. "It’s time that we begin to subsidize small businesses and companies that are creating clean energy technology, instead of continuing to subsidize big oil companies.”

Crenshaw High School English teacher Marcy Winograd’s also running.

Winograd won 40 percent of the vote in last year’s Democratic primary against the former Congresswoman Harman.

“I challenged Jane Harman as a peace candidate. I am still a proud peace candidate," the anti-war activist said. "This time, it’s jobs with peace. We have a near trillion-dollar military budget and out cities are starving.”

In the past, the top Democrat and top Republican would compete in a runoff if nobody won a majority of votes. Under California’s new primary law, the top two vote-getters will advance, regardless of party affiliation.

That’ll make it harder for Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin in a Democratic leaning district.

“I’m a Republican, but I consider myself to be an independent Republican that’s not going to be beholden to Mr. Boenher," Gin said referring to House Speaker John Boenher.

Gin’s an openly gay Chinese American who doesn’t sound like most Republicans when he lists his accomplishments in Redondo Beach.

“Green task force, water quality task force, public art task force, looking to nurture the arts, which also benefits our economic bottom line as well," he said.

Kit Bobko, the Hermosa Beach Councilman, is a more traditional Republican. He didn’t hesitate to tell the crowd that he opposes President Obama’s healthcare plan.

“I don’t think that the way to bring these costs down is to implement socialized medicine," he said.
A few people clapped. Many booed.

Some of the 16 candidates come from new political parties, and not just the Tea Party movement.

Mike Chamness said his Coffee Party claims 450,000 online members, espouses "centrist" views, and wants to repeal the "top tier" primary that makes it harder for third parties to reach the runoff.

But what about the pressing coffee question: doe he favor drip coffee or the French press?

“It would be a whole latte of Democracy, as it were," Chamness said.

The candidates at this forum displayed little animosity toward one another.

“I’m glad to meet you and good luck to everyone," Maria Montano said.

Candidates hardly echoed the scorched-earth political rhetoric common on talk radio and pundit TV.

“All the people that I’ve met here today, I have a great deal of respect for them. It takes time, energy and dedication," Mike Roozee said.

"I think they’re wrong," he added with a smile. "I think that I would better serve this district. But these people deserve your respect.”

It may have been temporary, but the mood was refreshing.

The special election is May 17th.