CA-47 Moves Into Toss Up Territory
The non-partisan news site CalMatters has issued its 2022 Voting Guide and has rated CA-47 – currently represented by progressive fundraising dynamo Rep. Katie Porter – as a “toss-up.” the race will almost be a November match-up between Porter and former Assemblyman Scott Baugh, a conservative Republican and powerhouse fundraiser in his own right. Last week, Baugh reported raising more than $1.3 million.
“CalMatters has experienced political journalists on the ground in California and they are seeing what we are seeing, that the new 47th district is up for grabs in 2022,” commented Baugh’s general consultant Dave Gilliard. “Biden’s inflation, rising crime and incumbent Porter’s leftist politics are distressing to voters in this coastal Orange County and traditionally Republican district and Scott Baugh is the perfect candidate to win it in 2022.”
Levin Path To Re-Election In CA-49 Narrows
Rep. Mike Levin was elected to Congress in the 2018 Blue Wave election in which Democrats swept every OC congressional race. And he’s notched a leftward voting record ever since. That may come back to haunt him in November as evidence of a red wave builds, inflation rages and Biden’s approval continues tanking.
A-49 is competitive: 36.1% Democratic, 33.6% Republican, and 23.4% No Party Preference
CalMatters Voting Guide rates the seat a toss-up. Elections Daily recently moved the seat from “Likely Democratic’ to “Leans Democratic.” The question is which Republican will Levin face in November: OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett; businessman Brian Maryott, the GOP standard bearer in 2020; or former Marine and current Oceanside Councilman Christopher Rodriguez?
Mr. and Mrs. Chaffee Open Their Wallets
Supervisor Doug Chaffee and his wife Paulette are rich. And the two Democrats aren’t afraid to spend it on their political ambitions. Supervisor Chaffee is running for re-election to the Board of Supervisors, and is facing a spirited challenge from his Left by Buena Park Councilmember Sunny Park, and from Brea Councilman Steve Vargas from the Right.
His wife Paulette is making another run for the OC Board of Education; she ran in 2020 and came in a distant third against Tim Shaw, whom she is trying to beat this June.
On March 30, Chaffee dumped $300,000 of his own money into his campaign. The same day, $40,000 in Chaffee dollars went into Paulette’s OCBE campaign coffers. Two weeks later, Paulette poured another $150,00 into her campaign kitty.
