The state lawmaker who Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said had a "hot" Latina temperament, landing him in hot political water, won points with conservative voters recently when she graciously dismissed the incident.
But less than a week before Tuesday's election, Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City) is in danger of losing her seat, some political analysts say, and she has only herself to blame.
Garcia, who has made a few questionable comments of her own, caused a political ruckus last month when she answered a casual question in a classroom of La Quinta High School seniors by saying she wouldn't kick the governor out of her bed.
She apologized days later, but in a desert district where Republican voters tend to be older and more conservative, the comment may not help her reelection efforts.
"Up until a couple of weeks ago, I would've said she had the edge and would win on name recognition alone. But then she had that remark," said Bill Gudelunas, professor of American politics at College of the Desert, in Palm Desert.
Garcia's opponent, former Democratic Assemblyman Steve Clute, has tried to capitalize on the gaffe, running TV ads that tried to link her racy remark about the governor to the House page scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida).
Democrats are eager to recapture the seat from Garcia, who has twice won despite the district's Democratic majority, and have flooded Clute's campaign with last-minute cash.
After trailing Garcia in fundraising through most of the race, Clute in October overtook the incumbent, raising $1.2 million as of last week, state elections records show. The bulk of the contributions came last month, from the Democratic State Central Committee and other Democratic candidates' committees.
Garcia has matched Clute in campaign spending and raised $990,000, according to the most recent figures from the California secretary of state.
The fast-growing 80th Assembly District covers eastern Riverside County, including Indio and La Quinta, and all of Imperial County.
The political agendas of the candidates share a few similarities. Both agree that the region needs to nurture a more technology-savvy workforce by expanding high school students' access to college and vocational training.
Making healthcare more accessible is also a common goal. Garcia wants it in the form of greater community outreach and public awareness, Clute through a bond measure that would pay for a new county hospital in the Coachella Valley.
