Matthew G Martinez

A congressman unveiled legislation Monday that would require the federal government to fulfill a 25-year-old pledge to pay its share for special education. Congress promised in 1975 to pay 40% of the costs of educating children with disabilities, but it has never allocated funds to cover more than 13% of the tab.

Former U.S. Rep. Matthew G. "Marty" Martinez, an advocate for youth and the elderly who switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican after he was voted out of office in 2000, died Oct. 15 at his home in Fredericksburg, Va., his family said. He was 82. The cause of death was not disclosed. Martinez won a special election in 1982 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Rep. George E. Danielson (D-Monterey Park). Reelected eight times, he was one of the major sponsors of the 1992 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which supported programs for the elderly, including Meals on Wheels.

With Vice President George Bush faring well in Southern California, Republican campaign advisers are pouring in aid to challengers here who they think now have a chance to upset incumbent Democratic congressmen. The targets are Reps. George E. Brown Jr. (D-Colton), Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park) and Jim Bates (D-San Diego), who for various reasons have been added to the GOP's list of possible victims on Tuesday.

In his 18 years in Congress, Rep. Matthew G. Martinez has gone about his job in relative obscurity. But on Wednesday, the lame-duck legislator from the San Gabriel Valley became the talk of Capitol Hill as he switched his party registration from Democrat to Republican. Martinez, denied renomination in California's March primary, was a star attraction at a GOP gathering, appearing alongside House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and drawing slaps on the back from his new Republican colleagues.

Both the Republicans and Democrats began Wednesday to plan their strategies to hold onto seats in the House in November, but it was the GOP that came out of the California primary with the most to lose. Democrats already hold a 27-18 edge in the House delegation from California, but Republican voters knocked off Rep. Ernest Konnyu of Saratoga on Tuesday in a vituperative battle in the suburbs south of San Francisco.

The field of candidates jostling for the powerful post of Los Angeles County supervisor in the 1st District came into sharper focus Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Matthew G. Martinez and state Sen. Art Torres prepared to enter the race while City Councilman Richard Alatorre bowed out. In what is becoming a battle royal, Martinez (D-Monterey Park) and Torres (D-Los Angeles) are expected to join City Councilwoman Gloria Molina and Sarah Flores on the Jan.

Joining a field already crowded with some of Southern California's most influential Latino politicians, state Sen. Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) on Wednesday announced his candidacy for Los Angeles County supervisor in the 1st District. Calderon received the support of U.S. Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park), who joined Calderon at a news conference in Montebello to take himself out of the race and announce his support for the new candidate.

The Republicans won the White House, but it wasn't their year in California's congressional districts. Not only did Republicans fail to cut into the Democrats' 27-18 edge in the California delegation, the political survival of a loyal Reagan Administration lieutenant, Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura), remained in doubt Wednesday because of uncounted absentee ballots. Lagomarsino led State Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) by 2,276 votes in unofficial results.

With only 10 weeks to go before the historic election that could place a Latino on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the first time this century, residents of the sprawling new 1st District seemed to be reveling in the chance to choose from what is shaping up as a strong slate of Latino candidates.

Rep. Matthew G. Martinez, Democrat or Republican? Throughout his career, the veteran San Gabriel Valley congressman has been a reliable Democratic vote. But since losing his party's renomination earlier this year--so far, the only incumbent member of Congress anywhere in the nation to suffer such a fate--Martinez has been siding more often with the likes of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) than Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.). Martinez's turnaround has been dramatic.

Rep. Matthew G. Martinez, Democrat or Republican? Throughout his career, the veteran San Gabriel Valley congressman has been a reliable Democratic vote. But since losing his party's renomination earlier this year--so far, the only incumbent member of Congress anywhere in the nation to suffer such a fate--Martinez has been siding more often with the likes of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) than Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.). Martinez's turnaround has been dramatic.

A tough renomination fight is rare enough for a veteran lawmaker. But as Rep. Matthew G. (Marty) Martinez (D-Monterey Park) struggles to stave off a strong challenge in California's March 7 primary, his worries include not only defections by longtime allies but within his own family. State Sen. Hilda Solis (D-La Puente) is running hard against Martinez, charging he has proved a "lackluster" legislator during his 18 years in the House.

A congressman unveiled legislation Monday that would require the federal government to fulfill a 25-year-old pledge to pay its share for special education. Congress promised in 1975 to pay 40% of the costs of educating children with disabilities, but it has never allocated funds to cover more than 13% of the tab.

Despite voter sentiment for term limits, four veteran San Gabriel Valley congressmen won reelection Tuesday. They will be joined in Washington by a freshman representative from Diamond Bar who will be the first Korean-American in Congress. Diamond Bar Mayor Jay C. Kim, a Republican running in a solid GOP district, beat two rivals easily with nearly 59% of the vote.

Joining a field already crowded with some of Southern California's most influential Latino politicians, state Sen. Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) on Wednesday announced his candidacy for Los Angeles County supervisor in the 1st District. Calderon received the support of U.S. Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park), who joined Calderon at a news conference in Montebello to take himself out of the race and announce his support for the new candidate.

The field of candidates jostling for the powerful post of Los Angeles County supervisor in the 1st District came into sharper focus Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Matthew G. Martinez and state Sen. Art Torres prepared to enter the race while City Councilman Richard Alatorre bowed out. In what is becoming a battle royal, Martinez (D-Monterey Park) and Torres (D-Los Angeles) are expected to join City Councilwoman Gloria Molina and Sarah Flores on the Jan.

In his 18 years in Congress, Rep. Matthew G. Martinez has gone about his job in relative obscurity. But on Wednesday, the lame-duck legislator from the San Gabriel Valley became the talk of Capitol Hill as he switched his party registration from Democrat to Republican. Martinez, denied renomination in California's March primary, was a star attraction at a GOP gathering, appearing alongside House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and drawing slaps on the back from his new Republican colleagues.

Most incumbent members of Congress from California won reelection Tuesday, but longtime Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura) was locked in a close race with state Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) in one of the most contested House campaigns in the country. Regardless of the outcome of the Lagomarsino-Hart race, Democrats will hold a wide edge in the California House delegation that greets new President George Bush in January. Coming into the election, the Democrats had a 27-18 edge.

With only 10 weeks to go before the historic election that could place a Latino on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the first time this century, residents of the sprawling new 1st District seemed to be reveling in the chance to choose from what is shaping up as a strong slate of Latino candidates.

The Eastside Assembly race to succeed Charles M. Calderon has turned into a high-stakes turf battle marked by an unusual split among local Latino political leaders. Calderon, fresh from an easy win in a special state Senate election in the San Gabriel Valley, is backing a longtime aide to fill his seat in the Assembly. A victory by the aide, Marta Maestas, probably would boost Calderon's prestige and demonstrate his power within the Latino political community.