Congress races fail to stir up interest - Redistricting made districts safe for two Republicans, Dooley.

John Ellis
The Fresno Bee
October 6, 2002

Two years ago, television anchorman Rich Rodriguez gave Rep. Cal Dooley the race of a lifetime.

National media attention was focused on the Valley. Republicans poured millions into Rodriguez's campaign. Democrats did the same for Dooley. George W. Bush, then running for president, stumped for Rodriguez.

After a hard-fought campaign, Dooley prevailed by 6.7 percentage points, the closest margin of victory in his congressional career.

Expect nothing so close in congressional races this time, political experts say.

In the once-a-decade redrawing of districts to match new population numbers, the Democratic Party made sure to put even more Democrats in the 20th Congressional District.

Because of that, the national exposure is gone as Dooley seeks his seventh term. President Bush plans no pilgrimages. Both parties say Dooley is secure.

For the same reasons, the Valley's other two congressional districts are considered safe. In the 19th Congressional District, incumbent Republican George Radanovich enjoys a solid GOP voter edge, as does Devin Nunes in the 21st -- the Valley's new district.

Still, there are challengers, so there will be a choice for voters Nov. 5.

19th Congressional District

Since he first won election to Congress in 1994, George Radanovich never has received less than 57% of the vote in his four congressional elections. And he's never seriously been challenged.

It looks like more of the same this year for the Mariposa Republican, who is seeking his fifth term in Congress.

The Democrat in the race, John Veen of Fresno, freely admits he is a long shot. "In most ways, I'm a protest candidate," he says. The Libertarian candidate, Patrick Lee McHargue of Sonora, says he hasn't had as much time to campaign as he would like.

Radanovich has more than $300,000 in his campaign account and 47% of the district's voters are registered Republican and just 39% Democratic. "At least he's not bringing monkeys into my office," Radanovich joked, referring to Dan Rosenberg, his challenger two years ago, who did just that in a campaign stunt.

With the redrawing of district lines after the 2000 census, the district now runs north from Fresno. It takes in 44% of the city of Fresno, and about 25% of Fresno County. It also includes much of Madera, all of Mariposa and Tuolumne counties, and part of Stanislaus County.

Radanovich says his top issue is "continuing to make sure farming has security in California." As part of that, he is working to increase reliable water supplies for agriculture and to reform the Endangered Species Act. "Frankly, those are unfinished conflicts that we are still working on after eight years."

Radanovich has received television air time and stories in such publications as The New York Times for his work on protecting the short-nosed sturgeon and the dumping of sludge in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.

It's not that Radanovich has turned into an environmentalist. He's trying to make a point that the Endangered Species Act is selectively enforced -- more so out West, less so in the East. "I think it's an issue that's coming to the front now after 21/2 years of work," he says. "Hopefully, it will make the law a better law. That's the goal, not to eliminate it."

There is other unfinished work, Radan?o?vich says, such as the Yosemite Valley plan. Still unresolved are the number of campgrounds and parking spaces in the valley.

Other issues are establishing a viable guest worker program for agriculture, promoting trade and increasing "fair" trade with other nations.

Veen, a labor relations representative, says Radanovich is out of touch with working families. "I'd rate him a zero on those working family issues."

His main issues are the increasing cost of health care and the number of Americans without health care insurance. He wants to make high-quality health care -- including prescription drugs -- available to everyone.

He also wants to strengthen and protect Social Security, improve and protect public education and remove barriers to workplace union organizing.

He calls President Bush's actions in Iraq "an outrageous changing of the subject" from Osama bin Laden and terrorist activities to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

McHargue, an engineer and business owner, says his major concerns are the intrusiveness of government, taxes, the "stupid" war on drugs and foreign policy.

He also says he is wary of the "government assault on liberties ... I'm leery of giving up any rights for security. It's a devil's deal. It just never works."

20th Congressional District

The 20th District looks pretty much the same as it was before redistricting. But now it has more Democrats and more of the city of Fresno -- a bit over one-third. It still takes in all of Kings and portions of Fresno and Kern counties. But it no longer includes any of Tulare County.

Dooley is being challenged by Fresno physician Andre Minuth, a Republican, and Fresno airline pilot Varrin Swearingen, a Libertarian.

After the stiff challenge two years ago from Rodriguez, Dooley has had a much higher profile locally. The new federal courthouse is under construction in downtown Fresno, and Dooley says he is proud of his work to make that a reality. He also is playing a role in promoting a slate of "reform" candidates for the Fresno Unified school board.

Dooley also points to his work securing additional Drug Enforcement Agency officers in the Valley's anti-methamphetamine campaign and helping Fresno secure an urban empowerment zone designation.

On a broader level, Dooley points to his work on building moderate coalitions in the House. One result was passage of trade-negotiating legislation known as Trade Promotion Authority. Dooley considers that "my greatest accomplishment this session." He was one of the few Democrats invited to the White House when President Bush signed the legislation.

His coming priorities, he says, are trade, reducing European Union farm subsidies and developing a realistic prescription drug program for Medicare. The plan he is pushing would help low-income seniors and all who spend more than $4,000 annually on prescription drugs. The cost is $360 billion over 10 years.

Minuth says he is working hard to defeat Dooley, and has backed that up with almost $80,000 in loans to his campaign. A native of Latvia who immigrated to the United States, Minuth said he is giving back to his adopted country by running for office.

Not surprisingly for a doctor, Minuth has a lot to say about health care. He says freedom of access and freedom to choose are essentials for a rational policy of health care and medical services. Individual freedom of choice strengthens the role of the patient relative to the mandated role of government, he says.

Minuth proposes a nine-point plan that includes allowing a patient to choose a doctor, hospital and pharmacy, as well as giving access to itemized health care costs.

Minuth also proposes that all non-citizens be covered by a federally financed and administered basic sickness coverage program. He says the program can be paid for by reducing waste in health care delivery.

His other concerns, he says, are jobs, homeland security and education: "You can really feel a seething anger about the lack of access to education."

He says California has an "unfriendly climate for business." He says workers compensation premiums are too high.

Swearingen's core philosophy -- like that of the Libertarian Party -- is to return the nation to a "constitutionally bound government." He says many tasks handled at the federal level should be shifted to the state level, such as education, health care and tax policy.

He says he is concerned about the nation's actions toward Iraq, which he is not convinced is a threat to the United States.

Busy flying around the world, Swearingen admits he hasn't had much time to campaign. Still, he is hopeful of reaching 5% or even 10% of the vote.

21st Congressional District

The 21st District is the Valley's newest. It was carved out of Tulare County and the eastern third of Fresno County.

Because of voter registration and a fund-raising machine that has raised close to $1 million -- though still $160,000 in campaign debt -- Republican Devin Nunes is the favorite to be the district's first representative.

He defeated Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson and Assembly Member Mike Briggs, R-Clovis, in a tough GOP primary. Now he faces Democrat David LaPere, a technician/broadcaster, and Libertarian Jona?than Richter, an attorney.

Nunes' top issue is water, and his top proposal is building a dam and reservoir at Temperance Flat above Millerton Lake. He says the dam is vital to continue urban growth, maintain agriculture at current levels and help environmental restoration.

"I think it is the No. 1 issue, bar none," he says.

His second issue is agriculture, a roughly $5 billion industry in the district. He says Congress needs people that understand agribusiness when the next round of trade talks commence.

The other two main issues for Nunes are health care and the Valley's methamphetamine problem.

He says Medicaid reimbursement rates need to be overhauled to keep qualified doctors here. He says he is unlikely to support a national health care system. "I still think there's the need for competition."

LaPere calls Nunes a one-issue candidate, referring to water. "We have more than one issue in our campaign," he says.

LaPere, who works at the Wal-Mart distribution center in Porterville, says 40% of Tulare County's children live at or below the poverty line and notes the Valley has a double-digit unemployment rate. He supports making Highway 65 a "third corridor" for the Valley, along with Interstate 5 and Highway 99, to help bring businesses into the area.

He says there needs to be a prescription drug plan for seniors.

He agrees Temperance Flat is needed, but another feasibility study isn't. He says it should be done with a project labor agreement with the labor unions.

LaPere says Nunes only represents agriculture. "I feel I represent a far greater cross-section of our community out there."

It's been a tough campaign for LaPere, who has faced stories about his college diploma, which he received via the Internet. Though his course work was questioned, LaPere insisted he completed it for the diploma.

Richter favors privatizing Social Security. He says the current system is "a Ponzi scheme that is impoverishing people."

He says income taxes must be eliminated, as well as capital gains taxes. Like many Libertarians, he favors an end to the war on drugs.

He also is concerned about the erosion of civil liberties in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "Trading freedom for safety has never worked. Now people are willing to trade their liberty away because of the slightest fear of a terrorist attack."

Richter opposes farm subsidies, and says the United States needs "to show the world we believe in free trade" by getting rid of "protectionist laws and government subsidies."