dave harmer

Virginia and New Jersey are watched for national trends. WASHINGTON — Independents who swept Barack Obama to a historic 2008 victory went big for Republicans on Tuesday as the GOP wrested gubernatorial control from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell's victory in the Virginia governor's race over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and moderate Republican Chris Christie's ouster of unpopular New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was a double- barreled triumph for a party looking to  

California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi is moving on to Congress. Garamendi, a Democrat, defeated Republican Dave Harmer in a special election to represent the 10th Congressional District. Garamendi will represent parts of the East Bay and Delta, as well as Dixon, Walnut Grove and Fairfield.  

Virginia and New Jersey are watched for national trends. WASHINGTON — Independents who swept Barack Obama to a historic 2008 victory went big for Republicans on Tuesday as the GOP wrested gubernatorial control from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell's victory in the Virginia governor's race over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and moderate Republican Chris Christie's ouster of unpopular New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was a double-barreled triumph for a party looking to r  

Democrat Lt. Gov. John Garamendi was facing Republican attorney Dave Harmer for a Northern California congressional seat vacated when the incumbent took a job in the Obama administration. A special election in New York's rural and strongly Republican 23rd Congressional District exposed tension between rival GOP factions. The hand-picked GOP candidate, state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, withdrew from the race and threw her support to Democrat Bill Owens.  

California's lieutenant governor is among 14 candidates competing Tuesday for an open U.S. House seat in Northern California. The 10th Congressional District seat opened when former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a Democrat, was confirmed for an undersecretary position in the State Department. Three other well-funded Democrats are challenging Lt. Gov. John Garamendi in the special election: state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, state Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan and Iraq war veteran Anthony Woods.

The vote-by-mail turnout has been respectable. We think we'll get a little more than half of those back   -Stephen Weir