SCHIFF HEADED FOR RE-ELECTION
By Dan Abendschein
Pasadena Star-News
176
Nov 5 2008
CA
Incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff appeared headed for re-election Tuesday
night in the 29th Congressional District, early returns showed.
Reached by phone – and with only preliminary results in for his race
– Schiff, D-Pasadena, said he was more elated by Sen. Barack Obama’s
presidential victory than by his own early lead.
"I am thrilled to have the chance to work with the president-elect,"
said Schiff, an early Obama supporter. "This is a historic moment
for the nation."
The largely Democratic district gave the party’s last presidential
candidate, John Kerry, 61 percent of the vote in 2004.
Schiff’s Republican opponent, Charles Hahn, a financial advisor from
Burbank, ran heavily on his opposition to the $700 billion financial
bailout bill, which Schiff voted for.
He also advocated eradicating inheritance taxes and reforming Social
Security to give more retirement money to teachers. If elected,
he vowed, he also would push for tort reform to make it harder for
patients to sue health-care providers.
But Hahn might have alienated Armenian Americans in the district after
receiving campaign contributions from a group that has criticized
Schiff for pushing federal legislation to officially recognize the
Armenian genocide.
Also running was Libertarian candidate Alan Pyeatt, who carried the
banner for traditional Libertarian positions – protecting civil
liberties, minimizing military commitments abroad, and cutting
government spending.