The daughter of a former state Republican assemblywoman and state senator is the latest challenger in the 25th Congressional District race.

Catherine Wright, 47, a registered Republican whose mother by the same name represented the Santa Clarita Valley during the ’80s when President Reagan was in the White House, has filed for the June primary and, potentially, the November runoff.

“The lobbyists and special-­interest groups are controlling our country in a lot of ways,” Wright told The Signal on the phone from her Simi Valley home Tuesday.

“I learned a lot from my mother,” she said. “One of the things I learned is that you have to be one of the people.

“I used to ask my mother, ‘Mom, why do you have our phone number listed?’ And she would say, ‘I want my constituents to always be able to pick up the phone and call me,’” she said.

Wright will be challenging incumbent Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Democrat Lee Rogers, a San Fernando Valley doctor, in the election.

A divorced single mother who lives in Simi Valley with her daughter and mother, Wright said she has issues with McKeon.

“This whole Countrywide thing, if true, then you’ve got a serious problem there,” she said.

Last month, it was revealed that Congressmen McKeon and Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, each received mortgage loans from the now-defunct Countrywide mortgage company under a VIP loan program.

What is interesting is that Wright could actually win enough votes in the June primary election to face off directly against Rep. Buck McKeon again in November.

Why?

Because of the top two vote system here in California.

CA-25 is a very Republican Congressional District and the announced Democratic candidate is essentially an unknown.

Here is a run down on the Congressional district demographics.

I don’t know if Catherine Wright will have much campaign cash or Republican establishment support, but she surely will be a pain in the ass for McKeon.

And, she will have her mother’s support, which you recall she had when Catherine had a few traffic tickets – way back when in the 1990’s.