Tipsheet

CA Dems Last-Minute Ploy to Keep Katie Hill's Former Seat Is Nothing Shy of Atrocious

Beth Baumann
Beth Baumann  |  May 09, 2020 11:15 AM

UPDATE:

President Trump took to Twitter to slam California Democrats and offer support to Garcia:

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) did the same:

ORIGINAL POST:

California's 25th Congressional District became vacant last year when then-Rep. Katie Hill (D) resigned after the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into her personal life. She was allegedly having an affair with her Legislative Director, Graham Kelly, and a throuple relationship with a female campaign staffer. 

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Democrats have worked hard to ensure that this district stays blue and they really are pulling out all of the stops. The Los Angeles Democratic Party late Friday evening asked the county register to add an additional voting center in the city of Lancaster. 

"For the second time in just a matter of weeks, voters in Congressional District 25 are returning their ballots or headed to voting centers to cast ballots in a Special Election. This is also the second time since the introduction of voting centers that Dean Logan's Registrars office has failed to provide voting locations in areas with a predominantly Black or Latino voting base," L.A. County Democratic Party Chair Mark Gonzalez said in a statement. "Lancaster is the single most diverse part of the district, and yet the nearest voting center is nine miles away. Registrar Logan's Voting Center placement decisions need to be consistent with our state's focus on ensuring that every voter has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote, change their voter registration and more, especially in communities of color."

"I urge the Registrar's office to swiftly and safely add a voting location in the Lancaster area for the upcoming Special Election, ensuring that voting equipment is working properly, and that all center workers have PPE and are following proper safety guidelines," Gonzalez said. "The Registrar should also seriously consider building a diverse task force to identify future locations every election and ways to ensure that voters don't have to worry about how they're going to participate."

Registrar Logan gave into the Democrats' request and established a Lancaster voting location. The Registrar's office said this was done because of Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris' (R) last-minute request.

The National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) explained the issue with ordering this voting center last minute:

Garcia pointed out the fact that Democrats waited until the last minute to ask for these polling locations.

President Donald Trump also made a point to remind his supporters in the district to vote for Republican Mike Garcia.

Garcia launched his campaign before Hill's ethics were called into question. He took issue with how she campaigned – as a moderate – and how she voted – as a progressive, which is why he initially jumped into the race. Now he's facing off with Assemblywoman Christy Smith (D) for Hill's old seat.

If Democrats were so worried about the lack of access to voting, why would they wait until the last minute to call for an additional polling location? Wouldn't that be considered during their "get out the vote" initiatives and planning?

It seems as though they're worried Garcia will come out victorious, especially with President Trump throwing his support behind the Republican candidate.

This post has been updated with additional information.