When Tony Strickland Was Running In A Ventura County District, He Was Denigrating Los Angeles… Now He's Trying To Run In An L.A. District

In the 2010 redistricting, some residents of Simi Valley objected when they became part of the newly drawn 25th CD, which is primarily a Los Angeles County district. They wanted to remain as part of Ventura County. Tony Strickland's part of Simi Valley stayed behind with the rest of Ventura, in CA-26 and he ran, unsuccessfully, for the open seat there against Democrat Julia Brownley. She beat him 53-47% and he immediately began his rematch campaign. The ad above was expressed how he felt about the people who live in the Los Angeles part-- the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys-- of CA-25.

Tony Strickland: Ventura County is a world away from Los Angeles. Things are different here. We care about our neighbors. When they need help, we lend a hand. We carpool our kids to sports and to school…

His message was crystal clear: Ventura County people-- the 26th CD, where he was running-- are "better" and have better values than people in neighboring Los Angeles County (the 25th CD, where he wasn't running). Then something happened. Strickland was polling badly in the early stages of his rematch and he couldn't keep up with Brownley's fundraising. So when Buck McKeon offered him a deal that would have Buck retire from Congress to work in the family lobbying firm in return for Strickland hiring a bunch of otherwise unemployable McKeon relatives-- Strickland immediately jumped from the Ventura district to the Los Angeles district, leaving his neighbors he claims so much love for to the tender mercies of Jeff Gorell, a right-wing state Assemblyman.

He decided he would face another Ventura County resident, one who had embraced his neighbors in the Los Angeles County part of the district, not denigrated them… Lee Rogers. Rogers is a prominent surgeon, the national spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association and an expert of public health policy who is motivated to make the Affordable Care Act more efficient, more effective and more progressive. Strickland, who opposes a government role in making the lives of ordinary working families better, wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (as well as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Yes, he's one of those.)

But Strickland's problem in CA-25 isn't just Lee Rogers. Local Republicans in Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster were horrified about the deal McKeon made with Strickland, who they view as an unfriendly carpetbagger with a bad attitude. They immediately set about to find a Republican alternative and, after their first, second, third, fourth and fifth choices all declined, they settled on an extremist fringe state Senator from the High Desert, Steve Knight, the most right-wing legislator in the state… but with a famous name in local politics-- because of his father-- that might confuse older voters into voting for him.

As, SantaClarita.com. the go-to website for CA-25 politics, wrote yesterday, Strickland is going to find it difficult to run after talking trash about the people in most of the district. "What's his next spot going to be? Hey voters of LA County, back where I come from, we care about our neighbors. I don't know what you do there, but you probably hate your neighbors. Even though I live a 'world away' I'd just love to be your Congressman. Cheers!"

This Republican civil war between those who back Strickland and those who back Steve Knight, is likely to be costly, bitter and draining. Democrats are united behind Lee Rogers, who already beat McKeon in the fast-growing Antelope Valley third of the district and is poised to turn the last GOP bastion in L.A. County blue-- and to do it without the help of the corrupt party bosses in DC. Beltway hacks like Steve Israel don't appreciate independent thinkers like Rogers and he refused to back his effort in 2012. He hasn't backed him this cycle either, even though polls showed he could beat McKeon handily.

Regardless of Steve Israel, congressmembers in California are eager to see Rogers bring his expertise, energy and independence to Congress. Recently neighboring Rep. Tony Cardenas endorsed him and started campaigning for him. "Lee Rogers is a diligent and hard-working leader on the health care issues facing his patients and our country,” said Cardenas. “He has a detailed knowledge of the economic issues facing Southern California and the solutions he is offering are creative and impressive. I have great faith that he will be an excellent representative for the residents of the 25th District." If you'd like to help Lee Rogers win in CA-25, his campaign is entirely a grassroots effort and you can contribute directly here at the Blue America ActBlue page.

She lost-- miserably