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Sanchez trumps Dornan again in California House race
ATLANTA (AllPolitics, November 3) -- In a classic House rematch, freshman Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez has once again beat former Rep. Bob Dornan.
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Loretta Sanchez
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In 1996 Sanchez knocked off the controversial Dornan by only 979 votes in the traditionally Republican Orange County. But Dornan's complaints about voting irregularities led to a 14-month probe by the House Oversight Committee.
The time-consuming investigation -- that only ended last spring with a ruling that there was voter fraud but did not fault Sanchez and awarded her the seat -- made the Democrat a martyr with her party and Hispanics nationwide. Meanwhile, Dornan's aggressive lobbying for the election results to be overturned turned off some of his former GOP colleagues.
The 1998 Sanchez-Dornan was one of the most expensive races in the country, with each candidate's campaign war chest topping $3 million dollars. Both candidates drew donations from across the country with labor and women's groups supporting Sanchez and Dornan fund-raising with the help of conservative groups such as Phyllis Schafly's Eagle Forum.
Dornan also had an additional $320,525 to campaign with after being reimbursed last month by the GOP-controlled House for his failed 1996 election challenge. Sanchez was awarded $252,536, but election rules prohibit her from using that money for campaigning.
Before going to Washington, Sanchez, 38, was a Santa Ana businesswoman who switched from being a Republican to a Democrat in 1992. Her Hispanic roots have served her well in her Southern California district where the Latino and Asian populations are growing quickly.
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Bob Dornan
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In her campaign, Sanchez focused on those newcomers, poor and middle-class voters to help her retain the seat. She also sought out Republicans who may have been put off by Dornan's tactics.
A former Republican presidential candidate, Dornan was one of the most colorful members of the House during his tenure. He was first elected to Congress in 1978 and served on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, where his ardent support for the B-1 (and later the B-2) bomber earned him the nickname "B-1 Bob" from friends and foes alike.
Dornan, 65, has made a mini-career out of attacking Bill Clinton -- a powerful Sanchez patron -- harping on the president's draft record and alleged marital indiscretions and made the president's admission of an improper affair with Monica Lewinsky an issue in the 1998 campaign
Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles' liberal westside, Dornan graduated from Loyola University. In his pre-Congress days, Dornan served as an Air Force fighter pilot for six years before launching a career as a TV producer and talk show host.
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