Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn on Monday added South Bay state Sen. Ted Lieu's endorsement to her bid to replace Rep. Jane Harman.
If endorsements alone decided elections, Hahn would have this one sewn up: in addition to Lieu, her lengthy list includes Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, several Los Angeles County U.S. House members and even Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
How decisive the support will prove for Hahn is not certain. Harman announced she would resign Feb. 28 to take over the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a Washington think tank. Once Harman quits, Gov. Jerry Brown would have 14 days to declare a special election, likely to be held in June.
Several Democrats have declared their candidacy, but Secretary of State Debra Bowen is expected to offer the strongest challenge to Hahn. Bowen represented the South Bay in the state Legislature for 14 years prior to winning her current office in 2006.
Bowen, who announced a run for the congressional seat last week, has announced no endorsements.
Last week, in an interview with the Daily Breeze, Bowen downplayed the heavy backing Hahn has been compiling from officeholders, labor and community leaders.
"I never stopped feeling like a grass-roots candidate in any of my races," she said. "Voters tend to do their own homework when it comes to candidates and don't pay too much attention to endorsements."
Bowen appeared to be positioning herself as an anti-war candidate through a Sunday post on Twitter.
"I have my own path in CA-36 bid. Already talking abt $$ spent in Afghanistan. It adds to deficit, ignores our needs at home, cost lives," Bowen wrote.
Lieu, a term-limited assemblyman from Torrance, won a special election for the South Bay's 28th Senate District last week.
In that race, insiders regarded a possible Hahn candidacy as threat to Lieu's bid to succeed Long Beach Democrat Jenny Oropeza, who died Oct. 20.
But Lieu lined up endorsements quickly, much as Hahn is doing now, compelling Hahn to drop out of consideration and toss her support to Lieu.
Monday's announcement was made in Harbor City at Balqon Corp., a manufacturer of zero-emission electric heavy-duty trucks that Hahn has helped secure contracts for at the Port of Los Angeles.
Lieu chose to endorse Hahn, he said, because of her record of job creation, what he labeled as the "single most important issue" facing the country today.
On that topic, Lieu said, "Janice Hahn has by far the best record of any candidate."
Republican Mike Webb, the Redondo Beach City Attorney, is the only GOP candidate to officially announce for the race for the 36th Congressional District, which stretches from Marina del Rey to San Pedro.
