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New Finance Web Site Highlights California Political Campaigns
This is a fun website which is the brainchild of Democrat Speaker Perez’s staffer Ryan Hughes.
A new campaign finance web site is circulating the Capitol Twitterverse. Dollar, Dollar, Bill allows users to see in graphic format how contributions are stacking up in California political races. The site scans the Secretary of State’s database every 20 minutes and displays contributions to campaigns and IEs associated with legislative races and ballot measures.
The tool is the brainchild of Ryan Hughes, a staffer in the office of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez. Hughes says Dollar, Dollar, Bill is nonpartisan. “This project is completely objective and without commentary,” he said in a statement announcing the site. “It’s designed to give everyone an intuitive look at how much money is being raised and spent in our elections.”
Go ahead and play with it.
There sure is a good deal of campaign cash being sloshed around California’s elections, no?
The Twitter feed is even more revealing – give it a try, too.
If that is not enough for the California political junkie, I have also been using Election Track which also has a Twitter feed @electiontrack for large, and last minute contributions.
Enjoy!
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California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission Creates Competitive Ventura County Congressional District Without an Incumbent
Draft Congressional District map from the Rose Institute
The California Citizen’s Redistricting Committee today released its draft redistricting maps for California Congressional and Legislative districts.
In Ventura County and particularly where I live in Thousand Oaks, a new Congressional District has been carved out without an incumbent Representative. Currently, GOP. Rep. Elton Gallegy is my Congressman.
If this draft makes its way into final form, Rep. Gallegly will either have to move from his home (or not, since Reps. are not required to live in their representative districts) since Simi Valley is not included in this district.
One of the most dramatic impacts would be felt by 13-term Republican Congressman Elton Gallegly of Simi Valley. The draft congressional maps place his hometown of Simi Valley, along with Moorpark, in a district that extends eastward into Santa Clarita and Palmdale. That area is the home turf of 10-term Republican Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon.
The map also creates a congressional district without an incumbent living in its boundaries — the district that includes nearly all of Ventura County except for Simi Valley and Moorpark. Gallegly could consider running in that district, since he has represented all of those areas at some point in the past. But the voter-registration breakdown in that district, 42 percent Democrats versus 35 percent Republicans, would make it a challenge for candidates from both parties.
Game on, for this competitive Congressional seat should Gallegly decide not to move.
