CA Sen: Former State Senator Richard Mountjoy to challenge Feinstein

[Adlai Stevenson]

"In the case of incest, there's always adoption," a former State Senator and Monrovia lawyer Richard Mountjoy has announced that he will challenge California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein in her bid for re-election.  "I'm in the race...No turning back." 

A self-avowed conservative Republican; Mountjoy holds right-wing positions not only on abortion; he questioned whether there were ever cases in which the procedure needed to be performed to protect the mother's life.  On immigration, he said: ""I don't think you give special benefits or a special place in line to those who have flaunted the laws of the state".  Despite his variance with Bush on the latter issues, he supports the President wholeheartedly on Iraq: "He is exactly on target in Iraq".

The California GOP does now have an experienced candidate for nomination, however, several in the party are reportedly worried about Mountjoy's perceived extremism in the liberal climate of the Golden State.  With Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger facing a difficult election campaign this year, the party may well not want him to share the ticket with a candidate who differs sharply with the liberal Republican on the issues.  The Republican primary will take place a little more than four months from now.

Feinstein, 73, a popular incumbent since she won a special election in 1992 over similarly conservative little-known Senator appointed to fill a vacancy, won a narrow election in her own right in Republican 1994 over Congressman Mike Huffington, 47%-45%.  In 2000, she was re-elected easily winning 56%-37% over the current State Director of Finance Tom Campbell.  She is popular in the state and has already raised $6.9 in her bid for a fourth term.  She is seen as a universally moderate Democrat, who voted against Bill Clinton's Healthcare Package in 1994 but her new challenger attacked her as a liberal who has: ""totally taken the positions of the left." 

http://www.oursenate.com/

In Democratic California in Democratic 2006, will Feinstein break 60% of the vote against a reactionary Republican?

[Adlai Stevenson]

That is true and its historically interesting.  I know were drifting off-topic here but the 1960 race must have been a shock for LBJ in Texas; he won by 58%-41%, Tower certainly improved on the 1954 Republican performance. 

However, I think the fundamental difference between Texas in 1960/1961 and California in 2006 is that Texas was trending Republican as part of the Southern pattern; Eisenhower had carried it twice and Nixon only narrowly lost it due to LBJ's presence on the ticket.  California appears to be more or less staying put politically, the demographic trend is not overnight going to elect a conservative Republican when the state has been represented since 1992 by two Democratic women who are pro-choice, for gun control and generally politically of the left. 

Also, I can't understand your point: do you expect Feinstein to die or something?  Mountjoy is retired himself and is only running because the GOP needs a candidate.  Its extremely unlikely he will return at some later election.