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One-time Pleasanton resident Jerry McNerney announced he is retiring from Congress this week. McNerney won election in 2006, topping Republican incumbent Richard Pombo. The 11th district stretched from Pombo’s home turf in Tracy and San Joaquin County into the Tri-Valley. Pombo left himself vulnerable because he focused on the significant national issue of reforming the Endangered Species Act and did not pay enough attention to local issues and needs.
McNerney rode the Democrat wave in 2006 to the upset victory. He withstood strong Republican challengers in his first two re-election campaigns. He worked hard at building relationships locally by returning home nearly every weekend to hold formal and informal events. That footwork paid dividends as he beat quality Republican challengers in his next two re-election campaigns.
That changed after the 2010 census when redistricting put him in the same district with out-of-touch Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark. Stark lived in Maryland and rarely showed up in the district other than proforma campaign appearances. Instead of taking on Stark, McNerney moved to the San Joaquin County and ran successfully for Congress there. He was elected five times, giving him a total of eight terms in the house.
McNerney announcement set up dominoes with Democrat Congressman Josh Harder quickly announcing plans to run in the district McNerney is leaving. That prompted Assemblyman Adam Gray to announce his candidacy for Congress in the district that Harder previously had been targeting.
Not the first of the musical chairs that the redrawn districts will set off across the country.
In the Tri-Valley, new Congressional District 10, presumably the one that incumbent Mark DeSaulnier’s will run in, includes San Ramon, Danville and most of Dublin and then connects north in Central Contra Costa County.
Congressional District 14 includes Livermore, Pleasanton, the remainder of Dublin and runs west to the bayside of Alameda County. Presumably incumbent Eric Swalwell, D-Livermore, will stand for re-election in this district. Swalwell, before veering hard left to win favor from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, defeated 20-term incumbent Stark in 2012. Swalwell had the temerity to jump into the race against the long-tenured (“serving” would be a misnomer) Stark and, thanks to the no-party primary, finished second in the June primary to earn a spot in the November runoff.
Running to the right of Stark and undoubtedly benefitting from the anyone-but-Pete sentiment in the district, Swalwell won the upset and has been in Congress since.
Eric Swalwell the corrupt spy who sold top secret information to the CCP for sexual favors and money should be removed from Congress. Pelosi with her insider trading should be removed from office. Newsom and his insider trading should be removed from office….the state of California is in a world of hurt from these self serving imbecile democrat liberals who put themselves first. We have no idea of the hundreds of thousands of illegals pouring in per week many whom come in to calif. We do nnot know of their medical status or the mental capacity yet swalwell wants more of them? If calif is ever to stop the bleeding it needs to rid of the cancer in her and the cancer is the Democrat liberals in office and among her citizens. Wise up people California is in critical condition!
To Lhommed:
I think that California is beyond redemption (When people will elect an Eric Swallwell, you know things are really bad). We bought a home in Northern Nevada a couple of years ago as an investment. Nevada has no income tax ( virtually ALL of our neighbors there are retirees from California). Gas is more than $1.00 a gallon less than it is here. Sales taxes are lower, property taxes are insanely low, and most importantly, the schools teach what the parents want. Our home there has appreciated by 50% in less than three years, but the property taxes are still $324.00 per quarter. I just hope that the “right people” decide to leave CA, and not the one’s who have brought this once #1 state in the country to its current resting place at or near the bottom of any category you choose. For the most part, California is the way it is today thanks to the “immigration” of people like Nancy Pelosi who, after fouling their nests on the East Coast, came to California to start all over with their destructive ideas.
To the editors,
If you wonder why the comment space has become so divisive and, frankly, difficult to follow if you’re not up on the lates conspiracy theories, you may wish to consider looking at the way Tim writes.
There’s nothing wrong with giving a strong editorial opinion. But that’s not the service Tim has provided. His writing is mostly just breathless contempt towards local Democrats, and gives people the impression that the PW is also mostly political.
I’m not saying to cancel Tim or anything. Just consider the balance you want to achieve and how that might affect readership.
Grumpy nailed it. I have questioned how Tim Hunt has been used by the Pleasanton Weekly, to no avail. If he is reporting news, report it in a non political, straight forward fashion. If, as is his intent, to express his political opinions, then it should be made clear he is writing an opinion piece.
Responses from readers in Dublin, Danville and PLEASANTON could react to Hunt, as appropriate.
@Grumpy – We are looking for a qualified blogger with a different viewpoint from Tim. We’re making progress.
@edanntzig – Tim Talk clearly states it’s a blog in multiple places. It’s under the “blog” tab in the navigation bar. It’s common knowledge that blogs are opinion pieces, not news.
The headline to the blog is what a reasonable person might believe to be reporting of news.
That it is a blog, may not in itself, be sufficient. However, I stand corrected about it being a blog, and therefore support a counter blog to our local newspaper.
By the way “common knowledge” can be an elusive thing; just saying.
Thank you, PW! I have no problem with competing opinion columns, which when in conversation with each other can focus on and clarify issues for everyone.
Thank you, PW! I have no problem with competing opinion columns, which when in conversation with each other can focus on and clarify issues for everyone.
Tim Hunt blogs are refreshing.
If you do not kike Tim Hunt blogs.
Do not read Tim Hunt blogs.
Tom Cushing provides an opposite opinion from Tim Hunt in his blogs.
Read Tom Cushing.
America is saturated with liberal bleeding-heart blogs, news, and opinion.
That is why Tim Hunt blogs are refreshing.
Yo Grumpy,
You must of been one of Tom Cushing’s former followers (The Raucous Caucus Blog ring a bell?). If not, he was the local liberal that bashed Republicans every time he he opened his mouth.
Maybe you or edantzig can fill the void left by Cushing? After all, you both are starting to sound very much like him.
PW allows hateful comments about Democrats such as Lahommed and a few others but censors comments that criticize these opinions and comments.
Paul Clark,
It is good for you and other retirees from CA who have found home in Nevada. I think it makes sense to move out of CA or Bay Area when one retires. But, you maybe missing the reasons why Bay Area is such an attractive dynamic place. Yes, it is expensive. Taxes are high, crime is high depending on where you live, yes it has its problems. But, with an incredible number of academic and industrial innovation hubs (Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCSF, other great schools, and companies) this is where great innovations have happened and are happening hi-tech, biotech, fintech, are all huge here. Many of them founded by those immigrants that you complain about. Millions of jobs have been created across our country and in the world as a result of innovations coming out of Bay Area.
The culture and diversity are fantastic here. The Bay Area is home to many many Michelin star restaurants or just real great pizzerias and delis, bbq places. There are only a few other places in the world with such great culture and diversity, NY, London.
All these smart highly educated innovative people in the Bay Area vote the way they do – for Democrats. And they do it in droves – over 70% of votes went to Swallwell and other Democratic candidates. Are they wrong or been duped? No, they just don’t see anyone credible from the Republicans.
Bottom line, good for you to be in Nevada. I get it. But don’t belittle the folks who are here and make this place great even with its problems.
@Robert D- What good is having a Michelin rated star restaurant in the Bay Area when only the Governor, the Mayor of San Francisco, and other limousine liberal politicians were allowed to secretly dine there, while it was closed to the rest of us?
D, I agree the governor made a mistake by dining at a Michelin starred restaurant during Covid and was not even wearing a mask. At least he apologized. There are politicians who have done a lot more horrendous acts and have not apologized, are even proud.
Your comment points more to your bias than argument for or against the truth of my post. With all its problems, We live in a wonderful part of this God created world and should be thankful to God and respectful to each other.