ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — After Republican Ling Ling Chang lost Senate District 29 by 1%, she wasn't sure she'd run again.
But when Democrat Josh Newman appeared vulnerable, Republicans came knocking at her door. Party powerbrokers flew to visit her twice, urging her to wage a recall campaign.
She bounced Newman out of office in the low-turnout election and is now trying to keep her seat in the face of heavy opposition.
Orange County Democrats have launched ferocious, big money assaults by mail, phone, and television, seeking to shackle GOP candidates to the rhetoric of Donald Trump.
Those assaults have strafed Chang, who has fought the connection to America’s chief executive while continuing to advertise herself as a moderate.
Newman has dedicated significant resources to arguing that Chang is an enthusiastic subscriber to Trump orthodoxy.
“I know everyone wants to talk about federal politics and one particular person, but I kind of want my record to speak for itself,” Chang said. “My constituents are my bosses, and I need to properly represent them.”
Chang has said that “her best friends are across the aisle,” and has supported coronavirus relief. But how money and resources will flow to needy households remains nebulous. She floated the idea of rewarding small businesses that hire with a tax credit.
“I just want to take the time and be thoughtful about the process,” she said.
The majority of the calls she has received have been from small businesses as concerns over coronavirus infection rates persist. Her message for reopening has been consistent with health officials, stressing that business openings should follow science-based guidelines.
The former Diamond Bar city councilmember has cast votes that reflect the conservatism of a historically red district. She voted against comprehensive sex education in schools and against public oversight of charter schools, as well as a bill that would have prohibited concealed firearms on school properties. But she did vote to increase oversight in deadly police shootings.
Newman had a shorter voting record, losing his seat after voting for SB-1, a gas tax increase designed to fund transportation projects.
“He wouldn’t have been recalled if he had been out there serving his constituents the way he should have,” Chang said.
The race unfolds in one of the county’s most hotly contested districts. Chang held the 55th assembly seat before challenging Newman for Senate. After she lost, improbably, Newman was recalled in 2018. Each vote tally has been close. In 2016, Newman’s election took weeks for the Orange County Registrar of Voters to certify.
This election cycle has seen a wave of liberal enthusiasm that has boosted voter registration and loaded Democrats with volunteers.
“There’s essentially unlimited money on the Democratic side,” Adam Probolsky, president of Probolsky Research, said. “They’re polling and they will spend whatever it takes to win seats.”
The coming election is expected to be close, but Newman holds a wide fundraising advantage, and the district has about 23,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.
“Ling Ling is a very thoughtful legislator and a very hard campaigner. She has youth, she has enthusiasm,” Probolsky said. “She’s energetic and she’s got a lot going for her. It might not be enough.”
Chang has spent a shade under $1.5 million. Newman has more than doubled that.
“This is not the year you want to be on the ballot,” Probolsky said. “Things are really breaking down here pretty quickly on a national scale. There really is a negative flavor around this president.”