ARTICLES

She's One of Us

Garcia Poised for Filner Upset

By Anne Knight

Maria Guadalupe Garcia, Republican candidate in the newly created 51st Congressional District, reports that her campaign to defeat ultra-liberal Congressman Bob Filner is gaining momentum.

Garcia, staunchly pro-life and pro-family, is receiving strong support from Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who before the congressional districts were re-drawn in September 2001 represented Imperial County. The 51st comprises Chula Vista, National City, South San Diego, San Ysidro, Bonita, La Presa, and Imperial County. Hunter sponsored a golf tournament fundraiser for Garcia in July, and is an invited guest at her two fundraising barbecues in October (see Dates section for details); Congressman Duke Cunningham is also slated to appear at one of them. In July, Garcia attended a meeting of GOPAC in Washington, DC. GOPAC describes itself as "the leading independent organization dedicated to Republican campaign training, grassroots activism and issue advocacy." While in Washington, Hunter introduced her to the news media, and the GOP offered her to CNN in Spanish as their brightest Hispanic new face. She also addressed a meeting of all Republican members of Congress, where, Garcia says, she was "well received."

She is receiving valuable support -- donations and an army of volunteers --from off-roaders who are upset over Filner's push to restrict the use of off-road vehicles in sand dune areas in Imperial County.

Her campaign has sparked interest in both the English- and Spanish-language media. On September 9, Univisión, a major Spanish-language television network, aired an interview with her. Frontera, a Tijuana daily, published a favorable article on her campaign in its September 15 edition. In addition to an article on the March primary election, the Imperial Valley Press published a report on a July 2 candidate forum featuring Filner and Garcia, hosted by the El Centro Chamber of Commerce at its annual dinner, as well as a strongly anti-Filner column which plugged Garcia ("Subject to Change" by Rudy Iniguez) on September 13, in addition to two pro-Garcia letters to the editor (May 14 and September 13). The San Diego Union-Tribune published a pre-primary article highlighting the three Latino candidates who opposed Filner in the March 5 primary election, in addition to an article on the primary results. Garcia has not received any coverage in the Union-Tribune since she won the Republican primary.

Filner himself has provided Garcia with fresh ammunition. On May 21, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 406 to 2 in favor of H.R. 3833, which would create a subdomain within the Internet exclusively for web sites rated as acceptable for children under age 13. The web sites would be certified as not containing sexually graphic content, violent material or other material unsuitable for minors and would not include links to sites outside the subdomain nor features such as instant messaging and chat rooms that could expose children to pedophiles. Filner was one of only two Congressmen who voted against it.

A unique component of the campaign to elect Garcia to Congress is an effort that was started and is run independently of Garcia herself: Democrats for Garcia, an independent committee registered with the Federal Elections Commission founded in June by Daniel Ramirez, who ran against Filner in the March Democratic primary race. Although Filner received 70 percent of the primary votes, Ramirez, who is a pro-life, pro-family Catholic, received 60 percent of the Democratic votes cast in Imperial County, as opposed to Filner's 40 percent. According to Ramirez, Filner spent $180,000 on the primary whereas he spent approximately $5,000. He points out that his campaign was brief and didn't allow him enough time to campaign in the district's coastal region, where Filner won handily. Ramirez owns a business in Calexico, which sells used school buses to Mexico. In a May 14 letter to the Imperial Valley Press, Ramirez wrote the following: " Maria [Garcia] and I agree that Bob Filner does not represent family values, homeland defense or support our military.... Filner has attacked the real principles of most of the Democrats who live in the 51st Congressional District." Democrats for Garcia, which consists of about 20 volunteers, raises funds and is putting up signs for Garcia.

Among Democrats for Garcia's accomplishments so far are Garcia signs painted on large semi-trailer vans stationed at three busy intersections in Imperial County and a Garcia sign painted on a large water tank which is highly visible from the main artery into Calexico. Additional activities are being planned for the near future. The signs say, "She is one of us," "Sí, se puede [Yes, we can]" and "Democrats for Garcia." Bonnie Garcia, the Republican candidate running against Joey Acuna, a liberal Democratic activist in the newly created 80th State Assembly District, is also inadvertently benefiting from the signs, according to anecdotes related by Ramirez. At the above-mentioned July 2 Chamber of Commerce event featuring Garcia and Filner, Ramirez parked a large bus outside with a large sign reading "Sí, se puede -- María Guadalupe García" and a sign on the other side that said "She is one of us." He reports that some Filner supporters were visibly consternated by the bus and called him a traitor.

Ramirez makes a point of talking to Catholics and other Christians who support Filner, about Filner's leftist, anti-family votes. Most, he says, are surprised when informed of Filner's record. Ramirez was passionate when he expounded on the need for Catholic clergy to warn Catholics, from the pulpit, against supporting pro-abortion politicians. In addition to ignorance of Filner's performance in office, Ramirez perceives constituents' unfamiliarity with Garcia as the other leading obstacle to her election.

Ramirez reports that, on September 7, as he prepared to put up Garcia signs outside his house, he was verbally assaulted by a Filner campaign operative who trespassed onto his property holding a large mallet in one hand. The assailant, who had been putting up a Filner sign across the highway from Ramirez' house, taunted Ramirez with obscenities and insults and challenged him to a fight. Ramirez has publicized the incident widely and believes that it has boosted support for Garcia.

Garcia is appealing for precinct walkers, campaign contributions and to anyone who can help in any way to distribute her campaign literature in the district. Contact Garcia for Congress, 278 Third Ave., Ste. C, Chula Vista, CA 91910, 619-425-1463, fax 619-425-1792 or visit www.garciaforcongress.com.

Danny Ramirez is appealing for assistance for Democrats for Garcia. He needs donations to put up more signs and billboards, especially in the Chula Vista and National City areas. He can be reached at 760-357-3006 or dcramirez@aol.com.

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