Garamendi is CD-10's new rep in DC

The Associated Press and other news organizations have declared John Garamendi the winner in California's 10th congressional race. He will take Ellen Tauscher's place as our local representative for the U.S. House of Representatives.

According to KCBS: California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, a Democrat, has defeated his Republican opponent in a Contra Costa congressional race to replace Ellen Tauscher.

With about a third of the votes counted in the East Bay, the Democrat and longtime player on California's political stage was ahead by nearly 16 points over David Harmer.

Associated Press calls Garamendi winner in California's 10th congressional race; so far, early results show Garamendi in the lead

UPDATE 9:20 p.m. CBS5 says the Associated Press is calling the 10th congressional race, to replace former U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, for her fellow Democrat, state Lt. Governor John Garamendi.

As of 8:30 p.m.: Garamendi had been leading his main opponent, David Harmer, in the race for U.S. representative in California's 10th congressional district.

Garamendi was leading Harmer, a Republican and San Ramon attorney, with 56 percent of the vote. That is, with 78 of 273 precincts reporting. Harmer has nearly 40 percent of the vote.

Contra Costa Times' Lisa Vorderbrueggen's Political Blotter column reports that vote-by-mail results posted in Contra Costa County show Garamendi leading with 57percent compared with 38 percent for Republican David Harmer.

Vote Tuesday!

Yeah, 2009 is an off-year for an election, and the ballot list isn't long, but try as much as you can to vote.

We've got some vitally important local races.

There's the election to decide our next local representative in the 10th U.S. Congressional District. The main contenders are Lt. Governor John Garamendi (Democrat) and San Ramon attorney David Harmer (Republican).

For those who live in Walnut Creek, you get to decide on the future of Broadway Plaza by voting "yes" or "no" on Measure I. A "yes" vote would allow Broadway Plaza to build a new department store--effectively, a Neiman Marcus--in downtown Walnut Creek.

Then there are the measures to extend parcel taxes for our local school districts: Measure G for the Acalanes Union High School District and Measure H for the Walnut Creek School District.

Good for you if you got your mail-in ballots in. And good for you if you've marked in time in whatever calendar you use to stop by your neighborhood polling place to vote.

Don't make the poor choice I made in last May's special election, when I didn't vote. Don't pull a Meg Whitman.

Come on, there's something very cool about getting to vote tomorrow. Those of us in the 10th congressional district get to decide on whom we want to send to Washington to represent us. Walnut Creek-ans get to decide on the enormously fateful question of whether they want a new luxury department store in town, and, we hope, put this whole Neiman Marcus controversy behind us. And property owners who live within two school district boundaries get to decide whether they think the schools need their financial help, via permanent parcel tax extensions.

Look, there is not a lot we can control in what's going on in the world, in this country, or even in this state. But we can make these local decisions that, especially with the school measures, affect us in an almost day-to-day way.

David Harmer thinks he has a chance to upset John Garamendi for Ellen Tauscher’s seat

The 10th congressional district is solidly Democrat, but Republican attorney David Harmer thinks he has a good shot at defeating the more experienced politician, his Democratic rival Lt. Governor John Garamendi.

Wall Street Journal writer John Fund says that a recent poll “using conventional turnout models” by Wilson Research Strategies shows Garamendi with a 41% to 34% lead in the district, where 47 percent of registered voters are Democrat, and 28 percent are Republican.

“Harmer has had no trouble portraying Mr. Garamendi as a big part of the state's fiscal mess," Fund writes. "Mr. Garamendi, a true-blue liberal who has held various offices for 30 years, clearly relishes the old tax-and-spend formula that got California into its current fiscal hole.”

While Fund proclaims that an upset is definitely possible on November 3, Contra Costa Times political writer Lisa Vorderbrueggen is not so sure:

“The lieutenant governor has overwhelming name identification in a congressional district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 18 percentage points. Harmer is a political unknown likely to raise just a fraction of the money that his opponent will collect.”