Cousin Nanette Runs for Congress

Nanette Barragan

First Aunt Janice announces her bid for LA County Board of Supervisors.

Within hours, Uncle Izzy declared his intentions for her Congressional Seat, from San Pedro to South Gate, with Compton and Harbor City in the middle.

Cousin Steve, former assemblyman from Compton, who got into fights with ice cream trucks, revved up his interest for the state senate seat, vacated by Uncle Izzy.

And now a city councilmember from Hermosa Beach wants to pile on and join the endorsement fast-track, running for the same seat targeted by Uncle Izzy.

Nanette Barragan, liberal Democrat who endorsed losing candidate Al Muratsuchi for state assembly last year, has had political ambitions aplenty, including her efforts with Hermosa Beach environmental advocates to block Measure B, and stop oil drilling in the city.

The Beach Reporter published its own press release masquerading as a news report:

Nanette Barragan is proving that the American dream is still alive.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up near Carson, became an attorney, moved to Hermosa Beach, was elected to City Council and became a stalwart opponent of oil drilling, is running for U.S. Congress in 2016.

Is the American Dream all about running for office and living off taxpayer dollars? That sounds more like the socialist dystopia bankrupting Europe or legacy cronyism plundering Latin America.

The column went out of its way to report her prior resident in Carson. Why does that matter? Because Cousin Nanette does not live anywhere near the heavily majority-minority ethnic communities of the 44th Congressional District.



The 44th Congressional District, from San Pedro to South Gate,
with Carson, Compton and Willowbrook in the middle

 
It is a shame that despite modern innovations and expanded research on energy exploration, particularly safety in connection with oil extraction within city limits, fear-mongering and Big Green hysteria triumphed and defeated the Measure B proposal Four to One.

"Cousin" Nanette will run on her efforts in defeating that initiative in the Beach Reporter:

The daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up near Carson, became an attorney, moved to Hermosa Beach, was elected to City Council and became a stalwart opponent of oil drilling, is running for U.S. Congress in 2016.

Barragan, a Democrat, started pondering a run at Washington, D.C. after Hermosa voters resoundingly defeated Measure O. Throughout the last month she has received calls from community leaders encouraging her to run for Congress in California's 44th district. The 44th district includes San Pedro and stretches north to include Carson and Compton.

Which leaders are asking Nanette to run? More than anything, a war of identity politics is breaking out in the 44th Congressional District. The African-American political machine has lined up behind Uncle Izzy, while the restless Hispanic Democratic elements in Los Angeles feel slighted by California's political machinations, pandering to Hispanics on amnesty and government programs, but then pushing them aside to anoint another politician for elected office.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is running for US Senate on this basis, and now Cousin Nanette is pushing for federal office on the identity politics card, too.

Some of the comments from the Beach Report piece are worth noting:

Raymond Dussault · FollowFollowing · Top Commenter · Consultant at Tevis Insurance Solutions

So the Beach Reporter is writing and publishing press releases now? Interesting. And I thought they were a newspaper.

The liberal bias of the media knows no ends. Just because other media affiliates are exposing the distortions and slanted rhetoric, does not mean the mainstream-turned-marginalized is going to give up a progressive, identity-driven political agenda. Besides, Cousin Nanette is a councilmember in Hermosa Beach, and her story is compelling, even if her record as an elected official is not.

Charley Cheswick · Top Commenter
This story is full of "Identity Politics."

Will the political mountaineering never end in the South Bay?

Elected officials have every right to take advantage of opportunities for higher office. Other than living in Carson when she was a kid, and killing an opportunity for lower gas prices and energy independence, Barragan has little to offer District 44 constituents.

How will she play to these working class ethnic communities, including African-American interest groups, while hiding her elitist legal background and high class residence in Hermosa Beach?

If anything, her 1% credentials may garner that much in voters from district residents.

At least Uncle Izzy will have to compete with someone else to replace Aunt Janice. More importantly, Republicans should give a little more thought to running someone -- anyone! -- for the seat.