Anti-war activist and progressive Democrat Marcy Winograd said Thursday that she's planning a weekend announcement initiating a run for a soon-to-be-vacated South Bay congressional seat.
The announcement will be made at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fox Drugs, 1327 El Prado Ave. in Torrance, said Winograd.
Winograd, a Santa Monica resident, took 41 percent of the vote in last June's 36th Congressional District primary against Rep. Jane Harman, who is expected to resign Monday to lead the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a Washington think tank.
Explaining her decision to run, Winograd said, "I feel that we need a real progressive in the race, somebody who has been advocating for a long, long time that we need to transition from a war economy to a green economy."
Winograd's entry complicates a Democratic field that includes California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn of San Pedro.
Last Friday, Hahn called on Bowen to sign a pledge supporting Israel that condemns statements made by Winograd.
The move appeared to be designed to bait Winograd into joining the race, which could cut into the liberal base of Bowen, who lives in Marina del Rey. Bowen quickly obliged and signed the pledge. The letter can be viewed here.
The gambit seems to have worked.
"It was part of my decision," Winograd said. "Clearly she wanted to provoke. I don't doubt that."
"I thought that it was a very sad commentary that people who are running for office would feel compelled to sign a document that, right or wrong, they're going to support another country regardless of what that country does."
It's worth noting that Winograd is Jewish. Winograd also said that Hahn asked for her endorsement.
Reaction was subdued from the camps of Bowen and Hahn regarding Winograd entering the race.
Bowen campaign consultant Steve Barkan had no comment.
Dave Jacobson, a Hahn spokesman, said the campaign always assumed that Winograd would run.
"We're focused on getting Janice's message out, talking about jobs and getting our economy back on track," said Jacobson.
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