All the pundits in California have been waiting for today: the special election to replace Former Congresswoman Jane Harman. This is the first high profile test of the new open primary system in California. Will the system create new dynamic surprises? Nobody knows for sure.
But what we do know is that like every election turn-out is everything, and the votes that are cast are the votes that count. We also know that only one candidate in the race stands out as the grassroots environmental choice: Debra Bowen. Bowen is the only candidate endorsed by CLCV and the Sierra Club. She has proven herself as an environmental champion. She led in Sacramento, and she will continue to lead in Washington.
Nobody familiar with her and her record would seriously doubt her environmental credentials, but last week an eleventh hour mailer sent out by one of her opponents suggested otherwise. The mailer was a deliberate attempt to cast doubt on Bowen’s environmental record right before the election without giving her enough time to properly respond to voters about the misleading accusations.
CLCV was quick to denounce the mailer and the tactics. They have no place in our politics, and voters deserve better. They can also backfire.
Voters in this particular district are more chary of deceptive mailers after last year’s attacks by Big Polluters on environmental champion and candidate for California Assembly Betsy Butler. Butler was accused by polluters for, oddly enough, being friends with polluters. The mailers were so insane that nobody believed them and Butler was eventually elected to the Assembly. After effectively and faithfully serving the South Bay in elected office for nearly two decades, nobody is going to believe the accusations slung at Debra Bowen either.
We encourage voters in South Bay to come out and vote for Debra Bowen for Congressional District 36. Let’s set these attacks right by taking a stand and electing an environmental champion!
