McNerney and Harmer Jostle for Tri-Valley Voter Support
Many polls show that incumbent Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) and challenger David Harmer (R-San Ramon) are in a dead heat in the polls for California’s 11th U.S. Congressional District. While many Tri-Valley voters are familiar with Jerry McNerney, many have never heard of David Harmer. How do they stack up? What would the election of either candidate mean for the Tri-Valley?
McNerney has remained consistent with the platform of the national Democratic party and the Obama Administration. One example is McNerney’s bill to eliminate the tax incentive for outsourcing American jobs to other countries. McNerney has also demonstrated a commitment to teachers. “Teachers are the foundation of a good education,” states McNerney on his campaign website. McNerney has shown his allegiance to teachers unions in helping to secure funding that helped to delay layoffs and also provided public school districts with resources to help weather the state funding challenges.
In contrast to McNerney’s protectionist approach to American job creation, Harmer has taken the position consistent with other Reagan Republicans that tax cuts are the key to strengthening the American economy and creating jobs. “Reagan demonstrated that when we cut taxes and give people the freedom to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, then the American spirit of innovation and enterprise takes over,” said Harmer. Harmer wants to cut spending to support tax cuts and eliminate the reliance on deficit spending in the US to fund government programs.
Incumbent McNerney has consistently advocated for the possibility of converting the VA’s Livermore location into a site for expanded post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression treatment, as the VA moves forward on selecting a location for a nursing home and expanded medical facility in California’s Central Valley. McNerney has also shown support for veterans by attending the recent East Bay Stand Down event held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Challenger Harmer was also present at Stand Down with his wife Elayne as they volunteered with the local Rotary Clubs to prepare dinner for the vets on Saturday, August 7th.
McNerney has helped to secure over $8M of funding for local traffic and road improvement projects in Stockton, Tracy, and the Tri-Valley stretch of I-580. The Pleasanton incumbent is also a proponent for the California high speed rail that will run from Sacramento to Los Angeles.
Harmer has not been afraid to take a position on controversial issues such as California’s Proposition 8. “My wife and I both feel strongly that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman, and that’s why we gave our time, and our money, to support passage of Proposition 8,” said the San Ramon challenger. Harmer is also a major supporter of the Tea Party and Arizona’s recent set of immigration laws. Further, Harmer plans to minimize illegal immigration by completing the fence along the US-Mexico border and to provide more funding for border patrol guards.
The race for California’s 11th Congressional District is too close to call at this point, but voters will have two diametrically opposed candidates to choose from on the November ballot and decide which candidate will best represent the Tri-Valley.
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10:11 AM on September 13th, 2010
Thanks for the analysis of our local congressional candidates! Most helpful. Looks like there’s a very clear distinction between McNerney and Harmer. Easy choice!
4:49 PM on September 14th, 2010
Anonymous – instead of believing what one person has written as as we all know is slanted – you and all voters should research the candidates. John is right, Jerry has voted the party line and with Pelosi >95% of the time – he has voted for the stimulus Bill, Obamacare and the bank, auto and union bailouts. Yes, Jerry has voted to spend money the country doesn’t have. Jerry has also voted for more government intrusion – Do you need the government telling you what is best for you? To clarify on Harmer – yes, he does believe in traditional marriage – doesn’t mean he is against civil unions for gays or providing spousal benefits for same. Harmer also believes in securing our borders – lets secure our borders before we deal with the illegal situation. Harmer also believes that AZ has a right like Texas, New Mexico and California to secure their borders. Also Harmer believes in less government, lower taxes and a balanced budget that will result in increased innovation and business growth. One issue that really differentiates the candidates is that Harmer has served as a Fellow of the College of Public Interest Law at Pacific Legal Foundation, defending property rights and other freedoms in state and federal courts and he promises to fight to protect and preserve our Northern California water rights. This is important for the San Joaquin Valley which is suffering double digit unemployment. So Mark and Anon be very careful who you vote for because we are now reaping the consequence of what you all wished for.
8:50 PM on September 14th, 2010
I do not like the job Obama and the democrats are doing, nor do I like all their spending. HOWEVER, if the GOP’s solution is to put the most extreme right wing folks out there and expect us, independents, to vote for them just as a way of voting against Obama: wrong!!!!!!
I just read about tea party candidates winning the GOP primaries, and that is no different that having had Palin as the 2008 VP candidate: a sure way to make sure democrats are voted in!
Tea Party folks: if the democrats win again, it will be your fault. People don’t like extremes, and I would rather keep the awful dems in place than vote for the extreme right.
I hope for a true conservative in FISCAL ways, but I do not like the conservative pro-life nonsense. Fiscally conservative? YES. Socially backwards? Absolutely NOT!!!
4:32 PM on September 15th, 2010
Anon – You know you really should use the name Assume because you assume a lot of things. Yes, Harmer is a conservative in the sense that he believes in a fiscally responsible government and adherence to the constitution. While he does believe that traditional marriage is between a man and a women, he also believes in civil unions and that spousal benefits should apply. With regards to Roe v. Wade, Harmer believes there are enough other issues to tackle and work on right now and that is his focus. Anon – if the Dems win – look at yourself in the mirror – it is your vote that has the ability to make a change and make a difference.
11:41 AM on September 13th, 2010
More propaganda from the Liberal lefty commies who are totally bankrupting this country, not to mention the State. Politicians are RUNNING away from the Obama train wreck, so yes, it’s an easy choice.
11:51 AM on September 13th, 2010
Don’t forget to mention that Harmer tried to run for the 10th district in north Contra Costa County but lost out last year and is now trying to run in the Tri-Valley race.
12:43 PM on September 13th, 2010
Since you want to bring up the past lets not forget that JM stated he was the President of wind power company. This consisted of a fax machine in his home. That is 100% verifiable. Let’s also not forget that securing funds is another way of saying taxes that left the state were returned to the state. Frankly that’s his job.
2:04 PM on September 13th, 2010
I never cease to be amazed, that people would seriously consider voting for a Tea Party candidate. This is the most radical fringe group in American politics, today, and I have yet to hear them come up with any substantive answers to any problems.
These were the people who were cheering for the oil companies, when they threw out all of the government safety regulations…resulting in the ‘worst ecological disaster in history’.
These are the people who think the big bankers, who trashed our economy in 2008, should not be required to follow any rules, when they make billions in profits, from selling fictious ‘complex derrivatives’.
As your article mentions….they think they ‘made it on their own’, and want to enjoy ‘the fruits of their labor’….rather than pay their fair share of taxes.
But, as a proud tax-payer….I’m hear to say….”NO THEY DIDN’T MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN!” I helped pave the streets they drive on every day. I helped pay for the schools that educated the people they hire. I helped pay for the police protection, in their communities. And yes….the remarkable programs Congressman McNerney has promoted to aid brain-injured soldiers, and veterans.
After all of the money some of these people have made, while living in this great country….I can’t imagine how these people think they are ‘patriotic’…if they don’t want to pay their fair share of taxes!
8:56 PM on September 14th, 2010
Most tea party members are highly uneducated and could not explain to you why they believe in certain issues and not others.
Their idea of conservative is a Palin-type person, and we all say how that went in 2008.
I voted against Palin. I would have voted for McCain, but then he announced his backward, right wing, uneducated choice for VP candidate, and Obama had my vote.
If the dems win again and continue destroying the country, we will have the tea party. Rush and Glenn to thank.
GOP: keep moderates in the party. maybe it is time to divide the party: the rational, fiscally conservative side and the extreme right. I will never vote for the extreme right, Harmer will not get my vote even though I do not like McNerney
5:56 PM on September 15th, 2010
They cannot be more uneducated than most of the Democratic cores. It is well known that most of the poor and minorities support Democrats and they tend to have lower education level.
3:07 PM on September 13th, 2010
MarkM, you are seriously lacking in information about what the tea party is all about. Stop listening to so much junk in the main stream media and read the facts, or God forbid, attend a tea party and you will see that they stand for positive action in the form of reducing the size of government, limiting taxes, and protecting our freedoms.
Ok… anyway, thanks for bringing these candidates to our attention AD. I hope voters are paying attention this election cycle. I support David Harmer (surprise) and have seen him debate live. He is very articulate and seems very sincere and passionate. He has my vote as I think he represents my interests as an average citizen waaaay more than Jerry McNerney. Go Harmer!
3:20 PM on September 14th, 2010
David Harmer’s son told me they like Utah more than the Bay Area. And you think this new guy would represent the interests of the people residing along the 680 corridor and the San Joaquin Valley? His loyalties run farther, deeper, and higher up the D.C. totem pole than our current representative.
4:27 PM on September 14th, 2010
Hey John – this seems to be a standard response by you – repeating what one of the Harmer Children said. You know…..I love Maui but it doesn’t mean that I want to move there full time. If that is all you can criticize about David Harmer, you really need some new material. How about Jerry voting for Obamacare, the Stimulus and bank and auto bailouts. How about Jerry saddling your kids with heavy debt. How about Jerry not truly representing his constituents, but rather voting the party line >95% of the time.
4:23 PM on September 14th, 2010
John, love the skewed view on Jerry – for one, no where do you mention Jerry’s commitment to vote over 95% of the time with Nancy Pelosi and the Pelosi agenda. No where do you comment that Jerry voted yes on the $787 Billion stimulus scam nor do you mention his failure to represent his constituents when he voted YES on Obamacare without having read the bill. Also, you didn’t mention that Jerry voted for the $700 bank bailout, $14 billion auto bailout or his commitment to Cap and Trade. Lets look at Jerry’s record – he has voted for more government intrusion than letting the free market shake things out. What people need to realize is that Jerry has voted to create jobs – 16,000 IRS Agent jobs and jobs that are a result of the stimulus – non-sustainable jobs. Jerry has determined that you need to be forced to have insurance while he has a choice of remaining in his current plan. What a crock! Jerry has represented taxpayers only 9% of the time. So John, I now know that the “around Dublin” site favors someone who votes the party line vs. voting the way his constituents want him to vote.
9:41 AM on September 19th, 2010
Steve,
Where did the tea go? I can only hope you are seasoned enough to give me a weekend to respond. I want to disperse of your statements better than the crude oil which still lies in the Gulf. The statements you put forth are not correct, yet they are somehow not wrong — a gray area of politic that consists of lies and statistics. But you do respond to my one honest statement with the latter and the former, but truly family values are open and on the table for everyone to see and sorry if I offended you personally.
The fact is someone who spends most of their life somewhere, if allowed to, usually would like to stay in that same place to see it improve as much as they improve (Lebron James, an exception).
Now, let’s get to your contentions.
Sometime ago us Americans (as an economic-society) decided that the poor and elderly have a right to necessary healthcare. Since then this system has been largely left alone. If this system were a car it would be one on the verge of its engine irreparably dying. It would be past due for heavy maintenance work and would likely have a leak in its darn gas tank. The car is not running like it can and would eat up your whole income for months if you did allow the engine to die. Or you have the choice to maintain it necessarily, at some cost, and avoid having to totally resuscitate it, causing your whole pie to shrink down the road.
Now, healthcare entitlements are real, and so is the 2014 mandate on individuals to carry health insurance. This will spread the risk more evenly because if you know 1 thing about insurance it is the benefits of a bigger risk spread/ pool (the industry is socialist and promotes the status quo by its very nature). Really, I thought the Wade-Bennett proposal was the better route to go, calling for employers not to be required to provide health care.
The bank bailouts have been repaid + interest. Harmer likes to point to HUD’s measures, however he is too smart not to know that bank regulation has been a laughable matter since 1913 when the wolf garnered the keys to the henhouse (and have you seen the st**f they put in the animals we eat lately?). Banks do what they please when they please(who else is going to pay for elections?). and if you wanted to let some banks crash and burn then the invisible hand is your homie.
McNerney voted only for half of the stimulus (govt should provide three things — security in our persons and property, infrastructure, and education — see Federalist papers).
And brother Steve, have you seen the way regional neighbor Congress people that are in the same party vote? They tend to vote together so lets not get carried away with our statistical figures.
Heavy debt is like C02 in my opinion — the more you (while stripping away our forests at alarming rates — you know the destruction of the chlorophyll that balances C02 with oxygen) have the bigger mask/ device our kids are going to have to wear while outside in the future. (why is the plywood consistently heavier now?)
Jobs are like supply and demand – the more you want…
As far as states power, you need to get around the 17th Amendment and VA as a state has proposed a way, I think?
And if you’re independent, vote libertarian.
And recessions happen when the most wealth is concentrated in the least # of hands that sit on top and lazily look out at their view (opinion, but see circa 1929, 1987, 2007).
The darn IRS agents have been around since Jesus reincarnated — darn tax collectors.
580 is improving, the South Bay does not want BART and do we really need an OAK airport connect? BART basically funds themselves though, so they should be able to do as they please. Steve if you want an outsider that strategically finds himself in the most evenly split district(s) (10-11) in our state to represent us, then there is nothing I can do to change the way you act. see ya.
jg
12:40 AM on September 15th, 2010
Harmer is a good Republican. Strong on traditional values like marriage between a man and a woman, pro-life, less tax, less reliance on the federal government, and protection for big business and the wealthy who fuel our economy. I would consider voting for him if there just weren’t so many people suffering in our district like the farmers, the unemployed, and veterans — or so many District 11 problems like transportation needs, environmental protection, and energy usage. The Republicans just don’t care about making conditions better for those who don’t have political clout or money. They believe giving tax breaks to the super wealthy and corporations will stimulate the economy. Why else would a Republican Congressman apologize to BP? And while Republicans want less government in our lives, they don’t see anything wrong with the government intervening in the Terri Schiavo case or the government denying marriage equality to all members of society or the government forcing a woman to bear the baby of her rapist.
As for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as some of you prefe r, this act is similar to Mitt Romney’s Health Care Reform in Massachusetts… but Republicans were loath to support it because they didn’t want a Democratic President to succeed. Funny how the Republicans worry about increasing the deficit by helping the poor but could give a rat’s a$$ about the deficit when it involves tax breaks for the rich. So no, I won’t be voting for another Republican.
5:51 PM on September 15th, 2010
I am an independent and I am going to vote Republican this time simply because I believe in balance of power and I want President Obama to move to the center and away from his leftist agenda.
9:54 AM on September 16th, 2010
Mr. Harmer is proud of the fact that he contributed time and money in his attempt destroy my family. With those kind of values, I can only vote against him.
11:09 AM on October 8th, 2010
[...] is the Republican challenger in the 11th District of California. And according to a recent article, David Harmer is also an ardent Tea Party AND Proposition 8 Supporter. That’s great. Just what we need to be sending to Washington, a retrograde anti-gay and [...]
9:35 AM on October 9th, 2010
What we need in Washington is to clean house my friends. I’ve been a small businessman for well over 44 years here in the Tri-Valley area and I’ve sat back and watched our government over tax us and take away our freedoms one brick at a time. David Harmer is a breath of fresh air in this sea of garbage that is occupying Washington right now. We need to wake up America and stop letting these liberal politicians “Rule Us”. Does anyone remember what “We the People” stands for? Well, David Harmer sure does….. The past 2 years have been the perfect storm to destroy America and we all need to get back to the Right of Center where our government functions best at. Where our politicians can actually make laws that will benefit and protect most Americans because of the “check and balance” that happens with a more balanced Congress.
Jerry McNerney voted in lock step with Nancy Pelosi (pass the HC bill to learn what’s in it) that takes away more of our freedoms. This my friends will be his legacy that he will be remembered by. David Harmer is a “Reagan Conservative” (Smaller government and less taxes) and with all the “Bigger Government” crowd that rules in Washington right now we need someone in there that will help us take back our country and get us back to the “Rule of Law” that is outlined in our Constitution.
Do yourselves a favor and look up who is supporting McNerney’s re-election: The big campaign contributors are Unions and Lawyers. This should tell you something about the man and who’s pulling his strings? He’s not interested in helping hard working Americans but rather “Growing the Government” instead. Make no mistake this is what “Big Brother” is all about my friends….
Change is in the air and it’s time to “Throw out the Garbage”…. “We will Remember in November”
11:04 PM on October 10th, 2010
I live outside the 11th congressional district. I see David Harmer offsetting the liberal far left government leaders. I urge voters in the 11th congressional district to vote for David. A vote for David will give all of us in California representation to put balance & reality back in our leaders. I have known David and his family for several years and will welcome his leadership for all of California.
Jerry McNerney has had his chance and appears to be a clone of the far left.
11:15 AM on October 11th, 2010
The choice is simple:
If you support McNerney, you support a centralized command and control government that wants to manage every single facet of our lives.
If you support Harmer, you support individidual responsibility, limited government, less government spending, lower taxes and freedom.
It makes no sense to me why those that support the left, think big business is bad yet big government is good.
7:20 PM on September 9th, 2011
The face that David Harmer supports Tea Party makes me not want to vote for him. Tea Party is very bigoted organization, just Google their activities and read theirs signs. It feels like they are last remnants of bigots against Irish, Italians, Japaneses, Chines, all minorities.
7:27 PM on September 9th, 2011
Dude – this article is well over a year old. Election happened in 2010. Time to crawl out of your cave.