After dispatching four opponents for a vacant congressional seat in April, Jackie Speier is still the only candidate with any political experience in Tuesday’s primary.
But that’s not stopping a new triad of Democrats from challenging the incumbent and longtime politician Tuesday.
Speier, who dominated April’s special election to fill the remainder of the late Tom Lantos’ term in the House, is now running to fill the seat from January 2009 to January 2011.
Speier, a Democrat, has spent time on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the state Assembly and the state Senate. None of her opponents have never been elected to public office.
Democratic candidate Michelle McMurry, of San Francisco, was defeated in April’s special election by Speier. She joins Robert Barrows, of San Mateo, and Frank Wade, of San Francisco, as the foursome trying to unseat Speier as the 12th Congressional District’s Democratic candidate in November’s general election.
“I think there’s still time to pull out a win against Jackie,” Barrows said.
Wade said he is running because he “worshipped” Lantos and believes Speier is a foreign-affairs “lightweight.”
“I don’t think the other candidates can fill [Lantos’s] shoes, but I think I can,” Wade said.
McMurry, easily the youngest of the candidates, has a doctorate, is an expert in the health and science fields and worked in Washington asa health and social policy aid for Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
The two Republicans who entered the April special primary have returned as candidates in Tuesday’s election. Atherton’s Greg Conlon and Foster City’s Mike Moloney, neither of whom has ever held public office, will compete for the Republican nomination after they were both beat by Speier in April’s contest.
“We’re going full blast and not taking anything for granted,” said Conlon, who considers himself the more conservative of the two candidates. “I’ve spent over $50,000 to do something, and it’s not sit on my hands.”
Moloney, who has lost races for this seat four times already, is never afraid to speak his mind. The Republican wants President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to resign and said he thinks they are leading the country into World War III.
Three other candidates running unopposed in their primaries will also compete in the November election: Green Party candidate Barry Hermanson, Libertarian Kevin Dempsey and Peace and Freedom candidate Nathalie Hrizi.
The 12th Congressional District race
Six candidates are vying for their party’s nomination Tuesday.
ROBERT BARROWS
Party: Democrat
Age: 57
Location: San Mateo
Occupation: Advertising/public relations
Elected offices held: Ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 2006
GREG CONLON
Party: Republican
Age: 74
Location: Atherton
Occupation: Businessman/accountant
Elected offices held: Ran unsuccessfully for this seat in April and state treasurer in 2002
MICHELLE McMURRY
Party: Democrat
Age: 38
Location: San Francisco
Occupation: Health/science
Elected offices held: Ran unsuccessfully for this seat in April
MIKE MOLONEY
Party: Republican
Age: 67
Location: Foster City
Occupation: Retired businessman
Elected offices held: Four previous unsuccessful runs for this seat
JACKIE SPEIER
Party: Democrat
Age: 57
Location: Hillsborough, Washington
Occupation: Congresswoman
Elected offices held: U.S. Congress, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, California state Assembly and Senate
FRANK WADE
Party: Democrat
Age: 59
Location: San Francisco
Occupation: Certified public account
Elected offices held: Never ran for public office
Source: Candidates
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