Just three weeks into the new congressional session, Democratic Rep Jane Harman (CA36) is announcing her intention to step down from her congressional seat to head a Washington DC think tank.
Rep. Jane Harman will vacate her Congressional seat to lead the Woodrow Wilson Center, according to a Congressional source.
The California Democrat, expected to make a formal announcement on Tuesday, will succeed former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-Ind.) at the foreign policy think tank. Harman served as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee from 2003 to 2006 and has carved out a specialty in national security during her time in Congress.
Wait...why did she wait until THREE WEEKS AFTER the new Congressional session started to leave? Why did she opt to run again at all? Wouldn't the more prudent thing be to make way for another candidate (like say, oh....Marcy Winograd or our very own John Amato)??? Now what is the state of California--teetering on the precipice of bankruptcy--supposed to do?
To replace Harman, the state will hold its first Congressional election under its new top-two primary rules, when the top vote-getters from an all-party primary advance. However, under special election rules, a candidate can win the seat by taking at least 50 percent of the vote in the primary.
“It’s going to be a free for all for that seat,” said Eric Bauman, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
The special election to replace Harman could be held on the second Tuesday in June, coinciding with a date being considered for a statewide vote on tax propositions.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the additional expense of putting on a special election to replace Harman is one the state cannot really afford. Maybe Harman, who is among the wealthiest congresspeople, should be asked to cough up at least some of the money to cover expenses since it was her own short-sightedness that put us in this spot.
