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Tran on national GOP radar in his bid to unseat Sanchez
July 29th, 2009, 1:23 pm · 65 Comments · posted by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
Van Tran is officially “On the Radar,’’ of the National Republican Congressional Committee in his bid to unseat Rep. Loretta Sanchez next year.
The state Assemblyman – who was recruited by the NRCC to challenge the 12-year incumbent Democrat - is one of 13 GOP contenders who the campaign committee said today has reached the On the Radar level of their Young Guns recruiting program.
Tran, who had $250,000 in his campaign account as of June 30, has reached the first of three milestones in this Young Guns program. (Sanchez, by the way, had just over $700,000 in the bank as of June 30) Each one requires candidates to raise a certain amount of money, build their campaign team, enlist volunteers and show they have a robust new media program, including a web site, Face Book page, etc.
UPDATE; Just talked to Sanchez, who, by the way just moved to a house she bought in Santa Ana, and she says she’s always prepared for a tough race and will raise whatever she need to beat whoever runs against her.
“We think he is a candidate that could defeat Loretta Sanchez,’’ said Joanna Burgos, the NRCC’s western press secretary. The NRCC seems to have a much more active recruiting campaign than in previous election cycles.
The next level for Tran is Contender and then Young Gun. Now even if he reached Young Gun it doesn’t guarantee the NRCC will officially target the Sanchez race and give him money. But it certainly would put him in a position to get some national contributions. If he doesn’t meet the Young Gun goals, it’s doubtful the NRCC would kick in the big bucks.
Andy Stone, Burgos’s counterpart at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said that Tran is “job shopping” because he also has a 2012 state Senate campaign committee.
Tran dismissed Stone’s comments, explaining that under state campaign finance law if he wants to keep raising money for expenses associated with his state Assembly office, he has to open a non-Assembly account earlier this year because he’s termed out in the Assembly.
Sanchez is known as one of the best fund-raisers in Congress and is likely to put her efforts into overdrive given the probability that Tran will be her opponent.
Tran said he doesn’t have a hard fundraising target but believes he’ll need at least $1 million to unseat Sanchez.
“I would not devote nearly two years of my life to this campaign if I didn’t think we have a very good chance,’’ Tran told me today.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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How weird for the Deomcrats to accuse Tran of “job-shopping” when Loretta is all over the news talking about running for Governor.
Those in glass houses…
Fred, Sanchez is scared……. and she should be.
Assemblyman Tran has attention from the Washington for the right reason and he has great support from the district voters.
Andy, go worry about Loretta… she needs to shop for a new job next year.
Well, Tran makes sense because of the Vietnamese community. But people are forgetting the Hispanic community. After those ridiculous confirmations of Sotomayor where Republicans made racist and snide remarks, its going to be hard to convince many Hispanics that Republicans are out to work for their best interests. Remember how Dornan lost? Being a right-winger from that district poses significant problems since the early 80s.
It could be a fight, but I think Loretta Sanchez still wins the election. Tran will probably become recognizable, but I dont think he has the fundraising chops to pull off a win against Sanchez.
The more he starts chirping about GOP talking points, the more he’ll be marginalized. Tran needs to find his own voice if he wants to pull off this election and not take direction from the Washington beaurocrats if he wants to win. Most californians are fiscally conservative but socially moderate, we dont care a whit about what you do in private. Traditional conservatism is not very strong in southern california and most GOP talking points fall flat on our ears. Its one of the reasons why Obama won California. We’re more pragmatists than moralists.
And as youve pointed out, she’s eyeing potentially running for Governor.
Point being, Sotomayor did make racist comments, comments many others would be out of a job for. So does my comment seem racist to you even though i`ed vote for Sanchez? Would i now be a racist to vietnamese because i like Sanchez? Come on , quit useing race to get the votes from your own minority group. Fact is Sotomayor is a racist, only one of the worst, she didn`t stand by her comment and back tracked just to get the job. I would have had more respect for her if she would had just said yes, i meant exactly what i said. Instead she back tracked saying she was misunderstood. Shows me she has one agenda, HERSELF!!!!
I agree with you Tom. Turnout in the Hispanic community is notoriously low, but Tran wont have the Vietnamese community completely behind him simply because he is Vietnamese himself.
Honestly the only way I see Tran pulling out a victory is if Loretta leaves her House seat to run for governor, but I doubt that will happen. That or a real scandal.
No republican will win in that district.It has an advantage in democratic party registration and 65% Hispanic population.Not many Hispanics vote republican these days.Tran can be your sacrificial lamb but the truth is that this seat is safely democratic regardless of the candidates.The D or R behind the name seals the deal.
Except that some of the Ds are really closet Rs on a lot of the votes that they cast.
What`s sad is all the politicians useing their names to get votes because of their names. Such as Tran getting votes only because he`s vietnamese and Sanchez changeing her married name from Bixley back to Sanchez just to get latino votes. Whatever happen to running for what everyone wants instead of just what your name represents?
Why do Mormons do really well in Utah politics?——duh!
Is most people voteing for the name or what the person stands for? That`s whats destroying this nation, people divideing because of race. People voteing because the candidate is hispanic, or vietnamese or white!!! Democrat or republican! Vote from your heart, not your race!!!!
Duh is the point i`m makeing!! DON`T VOTE DUHHHH!!! Think before you speak!!
Daryl—You might want to use spell-check so that your ideas aren’t lost in distraction by your spelling.
I appreciate your concern in my spelling but i see you got the point. Thank you
daryl; don’t worry about your spelling, just do what mensarino always does - claim it’s a typo.
Hey, Loretta, don’t worry about the campaign. WE all know the Vietnamese don’t vote anyway!
KICK HER A. get that wench (aka The Joker) outta there!
Tran,..Please rid us of the Sanchez Sisters (Ugly & Uglier).
I agree Tran - get her out - she has won on fraud voting, be careful. And as I read the article it is all about the amount of money raised. In other words all these politicians “buy” their elections. Remember that guy in Santa Ana that ran that non-profit organization - he helped get the illiegal votes in for her. He is in trouble now so he probably won’t be much help to her now. Go Tran!!!
Sanchez can apply for unemployment…
Ditto eviltwin . . . ditto!
Tran wrote me a letter after he read a letter I wrote that was published in the OCR during the height of the war in Iraq. At the time, Tran spewed the national Republican party line, which I thought was a total joke. It is time for Sanchez to go, she has been there for 12 years, but I don’t think Tran is the right Republican because based on his letter he wrote to me, he just tows the Republican line on everything and didn’t show any real independent thinking.
You had best talk to Scott Baugh on whether he would allow any “independent” thinking!
Independent thinking in the Republican party? HAHAHAHAHA!
Thanks. I needed that today. I’ll come back tomorrow and you can entertain me some more.
you don’t think he’s “on the radar” because he can think for himself, do you? the more he demonstrates his ability to be an unthinking, reliable, talking-point spewing, gop jihadist, the more $$$$ he gets from nrcc. they ain’t lookin’ for leaders in there, just sheep that obey the republican money masters: defense contractors, insurance companies, big pharma and jimmy dobson.
Van Tran has my vote.
It is funny how (so-called) minorities use their race and name to get elected but if Honky McGill does this well…..you know the story. Many of you latinos are going to be disappointed when the Obamaness wears off and your numbers dwindle to nothing. The OC if still voting very much republican. Sanchez hasn’t done anything for that district. You latinos are being fooled completely. You jump up and down for these people and they continue to let you live in your squaller. Tran is a joker as well. I didn’t hear word one from that clown when state republicans voted to increase taxes. Another douche bag looking for his next job. Bottom line according to most of you…..she’s brown and he’s yellow so there is no way either could represent my white arse. At least that is the way many of you racist paint the pic. Glad I don’t live in her sh^^ty district.
Do you kiss your wife with that doggy doo doo coming out of your mouth?
I believe that a lot of Blue Dogs will be defeated by Republicans next year, even the BDs who thought they had safe seats. Most voters in Republican strongholds would rather see a real Republican represent them rather than a pseudo-Republican.
The worst two candidates to run for office. Both need to be unemployed and we need to find someone that know what they are doing. Either we elect a fat guy that trying to prove himself to the Vietnamese communities or a sleeze politician that spent more tax dollars on her cat than helping her communities. Either way, we have to send one unless someone can step up to end this misery. What this world is coming to……
Sanchez needs to go! She is a free loafer nutcase!
Or better said, good for knowing.
spelling error: “knowing” should have been “nothing”
Wait… No shootings, stabbings, or car jackings in Santa Ana today?
ABS - Anyone but Sanchez.
My god, aren’t we all political animals!
I am a Vietnamese. That doesn’t translate to an automatic vote. I would like to know Sanchez and/or Tran has done thing that would in-line with my principals. If not, why should I vote for either ones?
I know in the Vietnameses community, Tran doesn’t have automatic votes from everyone. He still have to earn it.
Tom P. was right at very points. Tran probably for show. Sanchez will win at the end.
Hey Tom P. I was very impressed with your insights thoughts about California Republicans. I wish the GOP has the same angels as yours, then GOP wouldn’t be in bad shape right now. They should hire you now for 2010, then they would have a chance. Maybe!
Anyway Tom P, drop by Ocregister.com sometimes and offer us some more of your insights.
Keep it up guys. Let go and pull each other hairs out. lol
correction “I wish the GOP has the same angles as yours”
sorry
I feel sorry for some of these Loretta’s young staffers……. to be unemployed in a bad employment time.
Put your money where your mouth is.NO republican will win in that district.You don’t have the numbers.You are politically naive if you think otherwise.
Hey Menso, this seat will be changed next year.
If you have good working pair of ears then listen to the voters in the district. They are shouting ” No more, No mas Loretta”!
No, they say “Latino o latina para este distrito.
Is Van Tran the guy who goes around accusing his own kind of being Communist? Is he the same one having the platform, “Only a Viet helps Viets”? Obviously, he will not help others outside of his ethnicity. Why would I vote for this bigot?
CRA Republican is really that guy’s secret lover; that’s why he defends him for free.
I don’t know how Van Tran can convince others outside of his community to vote for him. What will his platform be when he runs for office? What I have heard so far is definitely not inclusive for all ethnicities.
Is Van Tran the guy who accuses other Viet candidates of being Communist?
No it’s Loretta who is vindictive against other latino congressmen.
Hey menso, latino voters are calling Loretta a “banana-mama”!
Do you know why she has that title?
Cholo and John = Juan, don’t worry about other ethnic groups supporting Assemblyman Van Tran because he has across the board popularity ……… it’s Loretta who is in deep mud with eroding latino voting base .
In Santa Ana, people are upset with high crime, high unemployment rate and under performing schools…. nothing has been changed under Loretta’s 10 year tenure.
i’m in the area of Sanchez. I am appreciated whatever she has done for her district area. But, she has been for a while… long enough. It’s time for CHANGE!
It’s time for a change. Van’s the man. Loretta will be in Congress for 14 years by 2010. Too long to do any good.
cra—–Must be the 1% tio taco republican Hispanics you know.None of the Hispanics I know use this term for Sanchez.
By the way,if the Hispanic population of the district did tire of her, it doesn’t mean they would vote republican.They would just get rid of her in the primary and pick a different candidate.
What make you think they would even come out to vote? The Hispanic turnout vote is notoriously low.
Vietnamese are outnumbered 65%-12% in the 47th district—it wouldn’t take many votes.The overwhelming majority of Hispanic voters would NEVER vote for a republican.
Tran can win if he comes out swinging with ideas. Thats how he can trump Loretta is by putting her on her heels constantly. If he can take this time to start putting ideas down on paper, ideas that affect everyone in his district for the better, then he can control the campaign cycle and force Loretta into responding.
The fact is, he needs to show that he is naturally a better leader, that he has a vision for the district, and that he intends to follow through with his plan once elected.
Basically, he’s gotta run like Obama. He needs his own playbook and he needs to pick issues that directly relate to his potential constituents and just roll out plan after plan so Sanchez has to scramble to come up with a well thought out response. The more substance he can bring to the table, the better he’ll do. The best he can do is make Loretta look like an uninformed incumbent career politician who has only sent Christmas cards with her dog to fundraisers rather than represent her district.
And sadly, I’m a Democrat, so why I am giving this advice, I dont know. I guess I feel bad that Republicans are so lost and without direction that I no longer derive any joy from them getting mercilessly slaughtered each election cycle.
I like a robust campaign filled with ideas. Democrats seem to be the only party coming with up ideas to fix anything lately. Thats one of the things Tran inherits with the (R) by his name, a reputation of having no ideas that wants to legislate morality and being an obstructionist to change. He’s gotta re-write that newly created stereotype to even have a hope of competing. People want change, and candidates need to show that they have the ideas and the willpower to make it happen.
In response to Tom P.
Again, you got right to the truth behind Republicans defeats. The day they can recognize the truth behind their defeats, that would be the day they will coming back to power.
I feel if they don’t do so, they will be in minority for a long time.They need a true leader that can look at the truth and make the right changes for their party. Being a Republican doesn’t get someone elected by itself. Whoever want it must have a platform consistent with Californians interests not the interest of his or her party alone.
And, Tran won’t have to change his last name to win. (Remember Sanchez was married and ran under her married name (not hispanic)- lost - took back her maiden name, dumped the hubby.)
now the GOP has radar? do they have sonar too?
Tran has to get through his primary with Quang Pham and maybe others first. http://www.PhamForCongress.com
Here’s information on the Van Tran household…this is the wife only. Yet, the office holder does not know what his wife is doing.
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jun/25/local/me-vantran25
Can you imagine what he and his family can turn this higher political office into?
Well you forgot to mention what Loretta do with her official hours… a writing romantic novels in the 5 star hotel room?
Did Congressman Joe Baca called Loretta Sanchez a whore?
Read more at http://latinopoliticsblog.com/2009/01/27/with-or-without-her-loretta-sanchez/
Sanchez is coward, she always intimidation other candidate who want to challenge her. She runs for office as a queen. Who run against her, would have someone knock the door and investigate for something funny.
Who vote for her, not because they want her, just because they scare of her. Wake up, people.
I agree…. even her fellow latino Dem. representatives are getting tired of working with her “bull dog” temper . Then people find her bubbly in the late night party scene.
Who wants to be represented by this unpredictable, part timer… Loretta Sanchez?
Hispanic always betrays anyone helping them. They just pay the loyalty to democrat. John McCain helped them before, but they voted for Obama for better money. John McCain bet his life for them to get citizenship. Hispanic said who care about you, McCain, I voted for Obama, because Obama is democrat, McCain is Republican.
Hispanic voters are more informed voters today and they are paying more attention to the imporant issues such as economy , jobs and family value.
Sanchez has been a total disappointment for ALL the voters in the district……. including the hispanic democrats.
Unless there is another democrat challenger to unseat Sanchez in the primary, we are going to see Hispanics voting for Assemblyman Van Tran …who is pro business/job creation with strong family value.
I read somewhere that Van Tran was able to secure a concealed gun permit from Mike Corona when Corona was still the Sheriff of OC. Van Tran interviewed Kim-Oanh Nguyen-Lam for a school position. He wanted to create a strong presence and impress her, so he brandished his weapon in front of her during the interview.
This move scared her because she did not know how to react to such overt display of inappropriate behavior.
Does Van Tran possess the mental stability and maturity to hold a higher office?
Thomas, a mental stability ? You need to examine lady Sanchez.’s dilussional mind.
You need to speak to lonely single woman Loretta Sanchez about her ex body guard who has been working excessive hours to please Loretta ……..was he married?
I will be back with more shocking news…no wonder Congressman Baca may have called her a whore!