Your Complete Guide to California’s Most Important Congressional Race

If you’re voting in Tuesday’s primary, or you want to know more about the significance of one of the most important elections this term, than this is the post for you.

California’s 33rd congressional district is currently represented by Henry Waxman, a progressive Democrat who has been in the House since 1975. The district is made up of some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods, including Bel Air and Beverly Hills. It stretches from Palos Verdes in the south to Malibu in the north, and it votes reliably for Democratic candidates.

In terms of national significance, the 33rd is home to many Democratic Party political donors—the ones who tend to max out their contributions—and as such is a frequent stop for anyone running for office. Whoever holds the district is likely to have extra influence with those donors and, consequently, in national politics.

There are 19 candidates running to replace Waxman, who is retiring. They are Republicans Elan Carr, Lily Gilani and Kevin Mottus; Democrats Vince Flaherty, James Graf, Wendy Greuel, Kristie Holmes, David Kanuth, Ted Lieu, Matt Miller, Barbara L. Mulvaney, Zein E. Obagi, Jr., and Michael Shapiro; independents Tom Fox, Theo Milonopoulos (write-in), Brent C. Roske and Marianne Williamson; Green Party candidate Michael Ian Sachs; and Libertarian Mark Matthew Herd.

We’ve interviewed two of the candidates, independent Marianne Williamson and Democrat Ted Lieu on air. Williamson, best known as a spiritual advisor, is running an insurgent, Occupy-style campaign. Lieu is a state senator who has been endorsed by the Democratic party to take the seat. We also spoke to Truthdig political columnist Bill Boyarsky, who has been covering the race for us. All three interviews are below, along with links to Bill’s last two columns on the district.

Columns by Bill Boyarsky:

California Gold Rush: The Race for the Hottest Job in Congress
California’s 33rd Congressional istrict is home to some of the Democrats’ wealthiest donors and one of the party’s most progressive leaders. No fewer than 17 candidates are running to pick up the keys to the treasure chest, but is any a worthy heir?

Spying a Difference Among Democrats in ‘Silicon Beach’ Congressional Race
To evaluate contenders for Rep. Henry Waxman’s seat, I looked at an issue that is central to American life today: domestic spying by the federal government.

—Posted by Peter Z. Scheer

Related Entries

• June 2, 2014 L.A. Sues America’s Biggest Bank Alleging Predatory Lending
• June 1, 2014 Infrastructure Sticker Shock: Financing Costs Exceed Construction