Certified List of 36th Congressional District Candidates Announced

The California Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday released the certified list of candidates who wil appear on the May 17 ballot in the primary election to fill a vacant seat in Congress.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who also is a candidate in the election, said in a statement that the candidates and their official ballot designation are:

DEMOCRATS

Daniel H. Adler (My Party Preference is the Democratic Party) – Parent/Entrepreneur/Producer

Debra Bowen (My Party Preference is the Democratic Party) – California Secretary of State

Loraine Goodwin (My Party Preference is the Democratic Party) – Physician/Arbitrator/Teacher

Janice Hahn (My Party Preference is the Democratic Party) – Los Angeles City Councilwoman

Marcy Winograd (My Party Preference is the Democratic Party) – High School Teacher

REPUBLICANS

Patrick “Kit” Bobko (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – Independent Businessman/Councilman

Stephen Eisele (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – Businessman/Aerospace Entrepreneur

Mike Gin (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – Mayor, City of Redondo Beach

Craig Huey (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – Small Business Owner

George Newberry (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – Businessman

Mike Webb (My Party Preference is the Republican Party) – City Attorney/Prosecutor

LIBERTARIAN

Steve Collett (My Party Preference is the Libertarian Party) – Certified Public Accountant

PEACE and FREEDOM

Maria E. Montano (My Party Preference is the Peace and Freedom Party) – Public School Teacher

NO PARTY PREFERENCE

Michael T. Chamness (No Party Preference) – Nonprofit Organization Consultant

Katherine Pilot (No Party Preference) – Longshore Office Clerk

Matthew Roozee (No Party Preference) – Business Executive/Mathematician

There had been 18 candidates who filed their nominating papers in time, but two candidates who stated that they had no party preference did not make the certified list. It was not immediately known why they were not certified to appear on the ballot.

The special election is being held to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) who resigned Feb. 28 to join a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The 36th Congressional District includes Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Del Rey, Mar Vista, Venice, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a special general election will be held July 12.

The election is being held under new rules established by Proposition 14, the "top two" election system that voters approved in June. Under the new rules, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff election, regardless of their political party.

Before Propositon 14, the top candidate from each qualified political party who received the most votes would move on to a runoff election. Proposition 14 also changed how a candidate's party registration was listed on ballots. Now, candidates indicate only a preferred party from among six recognized political parties or "no party preference."