GOP Source: Gallegly to Switch Course, Seek Re-election By David M. Drucker Roll Call Staff Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) has reconsidered a last-minute decision to retire and will announce Tuesday that he intends to seek re-election this year after all, a move that comes at the urging of House leaders and members of California’s GOP delegation, a knowledgeable source said late Monday. … Read More

Polling off the wire in Congressional District 50 (802 likely special election voters/Competative Edge Research). For those of you outside Southern California, Competative Edge is legit.

First Ballot:

Busby 33.5% Bilbray 14.8% Roach 7.9% Kaloogian 7.1% Morrow 4.7% Uke 3.6%

Leaning:

Busby 5.3% Bilbray 4.3% Roach 4.3% Kaloogian 2.7% Morrow 2.1% Uke 1.1%

What should concern observers the most is the surprising run-off numbers:

Bilbray 40.9% Busby 38.2%

Roach 35.8% Busby 35.2%

And here’s where it gets interesting…

Busby 43.8% Kaloogian 32%

Busby 40.7% Morrow 35.5%… Read More

Oh the twists and turns. Even as Darrell Issa is trying to get Elton Gallegly to campaign for re-election, the Chairman of the Ventura County GOP sent out the following e-mail yesterday, rallying support for Michael Tenenbaum, the only other Republican on the primary ballot with Gallegly:

Dear Central Committee Members, Alternates, and friends: This has been a trying week for Ventura County Republicans. Many of us have felt frustrated, surprised, saddened, betrayed, challenged and/or confused. The sudden news that our 10 term congressman, Elton Gallegly has had to withdraw from the race due to serious health issues has caused us sadness and concern for him and his family. This was obviously not planned by him, and I can only imagine how… Read More

INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE Governor Schwarzenegger continues to lead negotiations with legislative leaders towards the goal of putting a massive infrastrucuture bond proposal on the June ballot — it isn’t clear if today is actually the last day to get something worked out — the ‘last day’ keeps sliding, it was last Friday. Based on my math, I think a deal could be worked out as late as Friday, but that would create a real time-crunch. I was with Senator Tom McClintock for a few minutes yesterday, and he was recalling that with Props. 57 & 58, they had like less than 72 hours to put together and turn in the ballot arguments they submitted. The primary sticking point in negotiations is stemming from the fact that legislative Democrats insist on loading up this bond package with billions of dollars in non-infrastructure spending, and are solidly opposed to spending reforms. From my perspective, the most movement has come from legislative Republicans who, frankly, have good reason to be skeptical and opposed to a massive borrowing… Read More

INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE Governor Schwarzenegger continues to lead negotiations with legislative leaders towards the goal of putting a massive infrastrucuture bond proposal on the June ballot — it isn’t clear if today is actually the last day to get something worked out — the ‘last day’ keeps sliding, it was last Friday. Based on my math, I think a deal could be worked out as late as Friday, but that would create a real time-crunch. I was with Senator Tom McClintock for a few minutes yesterday, and he was recalling that with Props. 57 & 58, they had like less than 72 hours to put together and turn in the ballot arguments they submitted. The primary sticking point in negotiations is stemming from the fact that legislative Democrats insist on loading up this bond package with billions of dollars in non-infrastructure spending, and are solidly opposed to spending reforms. From my perspective, the most movement has come from legislative Republicans who, frankly, have good reason to be skeptical and opposed to a massive borrowing… Read More

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Pasadena Star-News and Whittier Daily News) carries an editorial about the replacement of Kern and Los Angeles County Congressman Bill Thomas as House Ways And Means Chairman. The Thomas Retirement gives House Republicans an opportunityto get away from the earmark and big spending philosophy. The editorial is here.… Read More

Last Friday in the mid-afternoon, things went a little crazy as I received a call from a close source letting me know that 10-term Republican Congressman Elton Gallegly (pictured to the left) was retiring. Of course this is big news because Members of Congress tend to serve for a long time, and since almost all are in non-competitive districts, they serve as long as they want. One of them retiring is big news, but we actually have two, with Congressman Bill Thomas of Bakersfield also leaving at the end of this year. However, it would be unfair to compare the retirement of Gallegly with that of Thomas. While I am no fan of Thomas, he is retiring the right way, and Gallegly… Well, here is the tale as best as I’ve been able to reconstruct it by talking to various sources and contacts…

… Read More

Last Friday in the mid-afternoon, things went a little crazy as I received a call from a close source letting me know that 10-term Republican Congressman Elton Gallegly (pictured to the left) was retiring. Of course this is big news because Members of Congress tend to serve for a long time, and since almost all are in non-competitive districts, they serve as long as they want. One of them retiring is big news, but we actually have two, with Congressman Bill Thomas of Bakersfield also leaving at the end of this year. However, it would be unfair to compare the retirement of Gallegly with that of Thomas. While I am no fan of Thomas, he is retiring the right way, and Gallegly… Well, here is the tale as best as I’ve been able to reconstruct it by talking to various sources and contacts…

… Read More