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Voters gave one local politician the green light in the run to fill the vacant seat of former 10th District U.S. Rep. Ellen Tauscher, but the red light to another.
Tuesday’s special primary election saw San Ramon Republican David Harmer push through a decisive victory while freshman Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, an Alamo Democrat, fell to the wide name recognition and experience of Lt. Gov. John Garamendi.
Poll watchers throughout the 10th District were put on hold Tuesday as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an order stating that crews fighting the Southern California wildfires be given an opportunity to vote. As a result of keeping those polls open, vote tallies could not be announced until after 10 p.m.
However, due to the low voter turnout, estimated to be 29.9 percent in Contra Costa County, the clerks in the four counties that comprise District 10 were able to get the ballots counted and have final figures announced by 11 p.m.
On the Republican side, David Harmer, a San Ramon attorney, garnered the lion’s share of the GOP votes, with 20.46 percent of the vote. Although far ahead of the pack, he was followed by Chris Bunch with 12 percent, Gary Clift with 3.99 percent and John Toth with 3.22 percent.
Surrounded by supporters and well wishers at a campaign party in Walnut Creek, Harmer said he was pleased with the result but not overly surprised.
“We’re confident, I’d say we’re even enthused,” he laughed. “We’ve been working for three months on this.”
A first time political candidate, Harmer focused on a campaign of fiscal conservancy with the slogan “No More Bailouts” on his campaign literature.
“I have four important reasons for caring about what happens in congress,” he said. “My kids. I’ve taught them to work before they play, to save before they spend, but Congress doesn’t do that.” He likened the increasing national debt to his daughter graduating from college with medical school loans but no medical degree.
He said that in the months leading up to the Nov. 3 General Election there will be few changes in his campaign. “Our message will be the same and our methods will be the same.”
For the democrats, the race wasn’t quite as cut and dried. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi jumped out to a slight lead over nearest challenger Mark DeSaulnier and kept the lead all of the way to the end.
Garamendi, of Walnut Grove, secured 26.15 percent of the vote, compared to DeSaulnier’s 17.5 percent. State Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan came in third with 12 percent.
Shortly after 11 p.m. the mood was weary but still excited at Buchanan’s Walnut Creek headquarters as volunteers and staffers began the process of winding down the campaign. The candidate was unavailable for comment as she and her family had retired for the night.
Three independents on the primary ballot will also move ahead to the General Election. Jeremy Cloward of the Green Party, Jerome Denham of the American Independent party and Mary C. McIlroy of the Peace and Freedom party all ran unopposed and will be placed on the November ballot.
Joan Buchanan owes apologizes to many. After taking our money and support as she promised to change Sacramento, she immediately turned around and announced that she hates Sacramento. Her campaign for Congress insulted the teachers, board members and administrators of the San Ramon Valley as she portrayed herself as the sole reason for the district’s financial and academic success, and she offended all women with intelligence as she demanded their vote just because she was a woman (not one of the boys). Women are too smart for such pandering. The election results speak for itself. She now needs to finish her term in Sacramento and then let another Democrat who wants to work for the people do what is needed.
Right on, Betty. Joan, like so many before her, just wanted to get her foot in the door and used the State Assembly and her supporters to do so. If she hates Sacramento so much, she should quit and let us elect someone who wants to work there.
Buchanan spent almost a million dollars of her own money to get a mere 12 percent of the vote. This confirms that she is grotesquely out of touch with the electorate and even more out of touch with her constituents.
I agree with Betty.
Buchanan has shown herself to be arrogant, out of touch with her constituents and totally misread this election. Accomplish something first, then run on your record. The only things she campaigned on were the fact that she’s a woman (not one of the boys) and the fact that her son has a brain tumor (it’s personal flyer)….And that makes her a healthcare expert? If she accomplished something, she should say so, but not one of her few bills has been signed into law. She also talks about her being an exective with Delta Dental. This was nearly 30 years ago, before she was even 30 years old. Healthcare has changed a bit since then. She may have worked well in the school board environment, but has proven she’s not well liked in the district. After taking over a million dollars from the Democratic Party for her last election, I think she’s burned up her political capital in Sacramento and must not be well liked.
Like Sally said, we need someone who’s committed and wants to be in Sacramento.
Of more significance than Joan Buchanan’s run is the fact that neither of the winners of the primary live within the district. Carpetbaggers anyone?
Now maybe the Buchanan Bashers can find another topic…
So living in the district (which is not required to run for the office) is the sole criterion for excellence in representation?
I think there may be more persuasive requirements than where a person brushes their teeth each night.
Dear Dolores,
Let’s say thanks to Joan Buchanan for her commitment to serve our interests in education, fiscally-responsible government, gender issues, community interests and each of us as individual citizens. Joan, in the many years of such services, has proven her sincerity in efforts and her capabilities to perform. Joan will remain a capable assembly member serving all of us in a very difficult state legislative environment, but we can applaud her willingness, desire, and personal investment to serve our region and communities in Congress.
For me, Joan, like Ellen Tauscher, is a unique representative of our area with fiscal responsibility and humanity sorely needed in all political parties and political actions. We are now challenged to choose from the successful candidates for 10th Congressional District election. We must find the exceptional model of service provided by Joan among the candidates in the November election.
Thank you, Joan!
Hal Bailey
We voted for Harmer and were glad that he chose to run.
For all the vitriol spewed in these and other public posting forums, the low voter turnout was an embarrassment.
Wow, no mercy for Joan Buchanan. But I would like to respond to Dawn about voter turnout.
I spent this summer working for the John Garamendi Campaign whom I have long supported. Through our efforts, we contacted nearly 80,000 people by phone banking and walking neighborhoods. Though the passion of campaigning lies in Voter Contact, the percentage of people who either hang up, shut the door, and refuse to answer is enormous.
Even with all these major issues going on today (Healthcare, Climate Change, War, unemployment, lingering recession, national debt, etc.) few people still engage in discussion about candidate’s positions and platforms or politics in general.
As I spent the morning discussing our civic duties in a democracy to my students, it IS embarassing that the great country we live in does not practice what we preach. How do I teach and advocate civic responsibility when less than half of our voting population does not participate in this fundamental right?
So, although we voted differently yesterday, I thank you and everyone else who went to the polls yesterday for doing your basic duty in a democratic society. This is truly what makes us great! I urge you to engage your communities so that we have a true representative democracy in Washington DC.
If I resided in the 10th District, 1) I would have voted and 2) for David Harmer. Like Dawn, I found the voter turnout embarrassing. My guess on the reason is that those who did not make the effort to cast a ballot believe John Garamendi is the obvious winner – without need for an election. Harmer has already requested the opportunity to discuss the issues with Garamendi before the November election. I look forward to forums such as the one at St. Mary’s College sponsored by the League of Women Voters. It gave voters an opportunity to meet and to hear candidates answer their questions in person. My representative, Jerry McNerney, provided his constituents access to him in a ‘telephone’ townhall on healthcare. I much prefer to ask the candidates questions ‘in person’.
Give me a break Sally and Betty (if you are really women???) You clearly do not know a thing about electoral politics or how a bill becomes a law and fiscal management.
Are you a fiscal conservative? Because if you are, then you would know that for every bill INTRODUCED by a legislator it costs nearly $50,000 of taxpayer dollars to get through the legislature, only to find that it dies by the end of session and we, the taxpayers, are out that money (times 80 legislators times the number of bills they each introduce). So just because a lawmaker decides to take the fiscally prudent road and not introduce a slew of bills (like CA needs 1100 new laws each Jan. 1) does not mean they are ineffective. Buchanan chooses to solve problems by picking up the phone and working with people directly.
As for your lame analysis about being washed up–hello? When an elected official in a seat like AD-15 runs a smart campaign mid-term and gets their name out there associated on the issues that matter, it is nothing short of brilliant for their re-election efforts to the Assembly–duh?
There are many campaign manuals and legislative process books out there–I suggest you both go pick one up and learn a little about politics and the legislative process.
Mom4now you might be right, but I don’t think so. I believe you are underestimating how angry and disappointed people are with Joan Buchanan. Not only did she take our money, time and active support to elect her, only to announce three months later that she really really wanted a different position, but she has now put her district at risk for the Democratic party. She is not the person that I and many others thought she was. Look at the vote totals as they speak for themselves.
Dear Dolores.
Maybe we should focus rather than assume???
Joan Buchanan came to this election with no abandonment of her assembly seat, but with specific knowledge that fiscal policy, education support, global fiscal direction, and broad recovery planning would come at the Congressional level. If Joan only focused her service to our state and region, she is well aware the California legislature cannot, by party politics and structural inabilities, achieve the plan that can make California survive!
There is no opportunity in the State legislature to succeed with what California needs.
Hal
It is going to be a cold day in July before we ever elect a Republican to represent us in Washington D.C. We need a strong Democratic Rep like we had in Ellen and will have in John Garamendi.
Hal, who is Dolores? Every time you write that I think of Mrs. Callabash and it gives me a smile.