Sandra Fluke not running for Congress after all. Wise move?
Sandra Fluke is not going to run for Congress after all. The women鈥檚 rights activist and former Georgetown Law student announced late Tuesday that she鈥檚 forgoing a try at federal office and instead will campaign for a seat in the California Senate.
鈥淲hile I strongly considered offering my candidacy for Congress, I feel there is a better way for me to advance the causes that are important to our community,鈥� Ms. Fluke said .
Fluke came to national attention in 2012 after House Republicans refused to let her speak in favor of mandatory coverage of contraception at a panel on the Affordable Care Act (aka 鈥淥bamacare鈥�). Conservative talker Rush Limbaugh called her a 鈥渟lut鈥� and a 鈥減rostitute鈥� for this stance, igniting a partisan uproar. Mr. Limbaugh eventually apologized, but Fluke became a hero to many on the left.
After graduation, she moved to California, passed the state bar exam, and became active in local women鈥檚 rights groups. Many state Democrats thought she was prepping for some sort of political career.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that Fluke had filed papers with the California Democratic Party seeking its endorsement in the race to succeed retiring liberal legend Rep. Henry Waxman. This launched a spate of stories (including ours) about the implications of her entry into a crowded Democratic congressional primary field.
But she鈥檚 decided to lower her sights, apparently. For her, that鈥檚 probably a wise move.
Why? For one thing, the race to inherit Representative Waxman鈥檚 33rd Congressional District seat is already a political roller derby. Its participants include a number of prominent state Democrats, such as former L.A. controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel and current state Sen. Ted Lieu; a couple of independents, self-help author Marianne Williamson and television producer Brent Roske; and (possibly) ex-Republican and current independent Bill Bloomfield, a wealthy businessman who won 46 percent of the vote against Waxman in 2012.
The fact is, it is unlikely Fluke would have won the state Democratic Party endorsement. Without that, she鈥檚 nothing but a one-episode pilot series canceled before the general election.
And as Washington Post political reporter , Ms. Greuel already has close ties to many of the women鈥檚 rights organizations and liberal groups whose backing Fluke would covet. That might have made it hard for the novice (that鈥檚 Fluke) to make headway in the race.
By running for state office, Fluke works with the state Democratic leadership instead of against it. Did we mention that the Senate seat she鈥檚 trying for is being vacated by one of the declared congressional candidates, Ted Lieu? That means Fluke won鈥檛 face the difficult task of unseating an incumbent.
Plus, as , the prospect of being one of 50 state senators in sunny California, as opposed to one of 435 federal representatives in swampy D.C., is not an unpleasant one.
Plus, Fluke is building a r茅sum茅 that will help her later in life.
鈥淭his is a better decision. A much better decision,鈥� Mr. Bump writes.
