AUBURN, CALIF. -- — Forced from the state Legislature later this year by term limits, Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock announced his candidacy Tuesday for a Northern California congressional seat hundreds of miles from the Southland district he now represents.
Four unsuccessful campaigns for statewide office, including a 2003 run for governor, have made McClintock a hero to many California conservatives. Early polls by McClintock and others suggest that he is the instant front-runner in the contest to replace retiring Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville), who is stepping down amid a federal corruption probe.
Indeed, minutes after McClintock's announcement, former state Sen. Rico Oller and Eric Egland, a Republican Party activist, announced that they were dropping out of the primary and endorsing him. Other candidates include former Rep. Doug Ose, a Republican from Sacramento, and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, a Democrat.
Standing with 30 supporters on the steps of the historic Auburn courthouse in the 4th Congressional District, McClintock said he would seek to return the Republican Party in Washington to the ideals of his hero, President Reagan. In a far-ranging speech, McClintock voiced opposition to excessive spending and taxation, and vowed to work for the protection of property rights and the "right to self-defense."
He also signaled that immigration would be a key issue in his campaign and talked about border security.
"The fundamental purpose of our national government is to defend our borders," said McClintock, 51. "If they can't do that, what good are they? We want our nation's sovereignty back."
But in a state where north-south political enmity is legendary, McClintock, who is registered to vote in Thousand Oaks, is already catching flak from some Northern California political foes as a carpetbagger.
"I believe we need a new direction in the 4th District," Brown said, "not another opportunistic career politician who needs driving directions just to find our district."
"I don't believe the voters of this district want an L.A. politician who doesn't understand the issues and people of Northern California," Ose said. "It's just different than representing Southern California beachfront."
McClintock's Senate district includes the coastal cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Ventura, as well as inland communities including Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Ojai.
