Bill Bloomfield’s congressional campaign is sn example of how the new California open primary can help elect genuine moderates or at the very least, get their views known. Bloomfield is running a self-financed campaign as an independent against incumbent Henry Waxman. Bloomfield used to be a Republican.
The pivotal moment for Bloomfield leaving the Republican Party came when Republican Senator Mitch McConnell said “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term President.” Bloomfield feels strongly that elected officials should focus first and foremost on the nation and on the problems that face us all and refrain from putting partisan attacks first. Both as a Republican and now as an independent, he says politics needs to be reformed and modernized. Larger coalitions need to be built and will by necessity need to span traditional party lines. He was an early and important supporter of open primaries and redistricting reform in California.
Waxman will be tough to beat but the Bloomfield campaign is cautiously optimistic they will finish second in the primary on Tuesday and thus face Waxman in the Top Two general election.
even though bill says it was mitch’s disgusting, divisive statement in 2008 that changed bill’s mind and party (to which he has contributed over $300,000 through 2011 – and even lived in wash/dc to work for mccain in 2008) – it was only in late 2011 WHEN bill announced his candidacy that he stopped funding the republican party. that’s 3 years AFTER the comment that bill says was the defining moment for him to run for office as an independent.
curiously enough, the only republican running in the 33rd district is NOT being supported by the gop… hmmm… i guess bill, financing himself at this entry point, is the republican challenger for this district… and a representative thereof once and if he gets in…
very clever. we wish he were truly independent…