Central Valley shuffle for Dems + Schubert banks $SS + Roger Niello announces run
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CONGRESSIONAL SHUFFLE
Via Gillian Brassil...
Congressman Jerry McNerney announced that he would not seek election this year in the Stockton-centered district that has been his legislative home since 2007. And then Central Valley Democrats started playing musical chairs.
Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, announced that he would run to represent the 9th Congressional District that McNerney, D-Stockton, was expected to run in.
“Jerry, thank you for your incredible service to our community,” Harder said in a release following McNerney’s announcement. “Today, I’m humbled to share I will be running for reelection in CA-9 which encompasses parts of mine and Jerry’s districts.”
The 9th district captures San Joaquin County and is more Democratic than the district that Harder had been eyeing.
Harder previously announced his intent to run in California’s 13th Congressional District, a San Joaquin Valley swath that grabs pieces of Modesto, Turlock and all of Merced County.
The 13th district leans Democratic but is recognized as home to one of California’s closest House elections in 2022 by expert election-tracking organizations.
With Harder gone, Assemblyman Adam Gray, a moderate Democrat, announced his bid for Congress in the 13th district.
Gray has represented Merced County in the California State Assembly since 2012, where his work has focused on agriculture, health care and boosted bipartisan collaboration.
“Importantly, I will always support good ideas regardless of if they come from Democrats, Republicans, or independents,” Gray said.
SCHUBERT BANKS $1.7 MILLION
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert has no shortage of funds in her bid to become California’s next attorney general. Schubert’s campaign on Tuesday announced that they had raised $1.6 million through the 2021 year-end reporting period.
Adding in January’s fundraising efforts so far, and Schubert’s campaign says it has raised $1.7 million total.
Schubert, who is running as a No Party Preference candidate against Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta, has run on a law and order, tough-on-crime platform.
“I am grateful for the multitude of fellow Californians who are joining my campaign. It is critical that the Attorney General’s office be returned to a non-politician whose sole focus is to pursue justice and restore security to our communities. I will work relentlessly to stop the chaos in California that has been inflicted upon us by rogue district attorneys and Rob Bonta,” Schubert said in a statement.
Rob Stutzman, Schubert’s campaign strategist, said in a statement that there has never been an independent candidate poised to win statewide office like Schubert.
“She’s raising the money, is the unanimous choice of law enforcement and public safety and most importantly is the only career prosecutor in the field. She’s the perfect candidate for this moment,” Stutzman said.
NIELLO MAKES SENATE BID
Former Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello has announced that he is making a bid for the newly created State Senate District 6 seat, currently represented by Sens. Brian Dahle and Jim Nielsen.
“It is no secret that California faces significant challenges — unfortunately high rates of homelessness, increasing crime, and an abysmal climate for small business owners.” Niello said in a statement. “We need leaders who are willing to put politics aside and do the hard work of crafting solutions that improve life for California’s working families.”
Niello has several high-profile endorsements to his name, including Sen. Nielsen, Sacramento County District Attorney (and No Party Preference attorney general candidate) Anne Marie Schubert and former Republican Congressman Doug Ose.
Niello, who lives in Fair Oaks, previously served in the Assembly from December 2004 to December 2010. He also previously served on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and as president and CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If I were an autocrat, if I could decide the fate and future of this country, I would demand that all of us have some compulsory service, shared experiences.”
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, at a recent press conference.
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