Van Tran for Congress

FEC Reports Force New Races To The Fore

The Hill
By Aaron Blake 07/18/09

…It’s a four-times-yearly ritual in House campaigns: Wait for the quarterly fundraising reports to roll in, and reevaluate the races accordingly. It’s still very early, but the second-quarter reports filed Wednesday will affect that next 16 months in a big way. And many races have been recast because of the numbers posted this week.

The Hill looks at the top 10 races that took on a new identity thanks to the fundraising reports:
CA-45 and 47 – Two-for-one in the competitive column

Republicans have tried hard to put Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s (D-Calif.) seat on the map, and Democrats have attempted the same with Rep. Mary Bono Mack’s (R-Calif.) nearby district. Both have done so now, after Assemblyman Van Tran (R) outraised Sanchez (sparking renewed rumors of a Sanchez statewide run) and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet outraised Bono Mack. It’s safe to put these seats in the realm of possibility now.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY VISIT:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/fec-reports-force-new-races-to-the-fore-2009-07-18.html

CD47 Watch: Van Tran Outraises Loretta Sanchez in 2nd Quarter

RedCounty.com
By Matthew Cunningham | 07/15/09

…Loretta Sanchez, worked hard amidst the ritz and flash to shake the campaign money tree. The result?: $242,295.74 for April-May-June, 2009…

But…what’s more impressive is Assemblyman Van Tran actually out-raised the incumbent during the same period, posting $253,821 during the same three-month period — and in Van Tran’s case, his money was raised in just six weeks…

…If I were Sanchez, I’d be worried that after 10 years of crushing underfunded or incompetent Republican opponents, I now faced an GOP state legislator with a successful record of political organizing and winning elections who was able to raise more money in a shorter amount of time. Shades of the fates of Bob Dornan and Jerry Patterson.

Loretta’s report summary shows a $700 refund to a political action committee, but it’s omitted from her Schedule B itemized disbursements. Otherwise, Loretta still refuses to join several fellow House Democrats in returning several thousand in donations from a partner in the now defunct-and-under-investigation PMA Group – money donated under false pretenses.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY VISIT:
http://www.redcounty.com/cd47-watch-van-tran-outraises-loretta-sanchez-2nd-quarter

Tran Adds Thousands To War Chest

The Political Landscape: Tran Adds Thousands To War Chest
The Daily Pilot Newspaper
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
By Alan Blank

Assemblyman Van Tran’s campaign said this week that he raised $250,000 this quarter for his upcoming race for Congress against incumbent Rep. Loretta Sanchez in 2010…

“By out-raising nearly all congressional challengers, most incumbent members of Congress and open-seat contenders, the Tran campaign has become an immediate threat to the incumbent, all within the first six weeks,” according to a statement released by the Tran campaign.

“We believe that this district is extremely competitive,” said Tran consultant Jeff Roe…

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/07/16/politics/dpt-landscape071609.1.prt

“Air Tran” (House Race Hotline, 7/13)

Assemb. Tran (R) raises an $250K in the 2ndQ, an impressive amount in what’s going to be a tough race against Rep. Sanchez (D-CA 47). (House Race Hotline, 7/13)

http://www.nationaljournal.com/hotline/house_race_hotline.php

“Watch The Tran Car, Please!” (“Scorecard,” Politico, 7/13)

Assemb. Van Tran (R) raised $250K in the 2ndQ for his race against Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) (Kraushaar, “Scorecard,” Politico, 7/13).

http://www.nationaljournal.com/hotline/po_20090713_2264.php

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0709/Weekend_roundup_Corzine_the_underdog.html#comments

Fundraising Confirms Campaign as One of the Top Congressional Races in America

ORANGE COUNTY, CA- The Van Tran for U.S. Congress committee shattered all previous fundraising numbers by raising over $250,000 in only six weeks of fundraising. This torrid pace launches the campaign into the top tier of all fundraising quarters for candidates for Congress in the entire Nation. By out-raising nearly all Congressional challengers, most incumbent members of Congress and open seat contenders, the Tran campaign has become an immediate threat to the incumbent, all within the first six weeks.

“Voters are unhappy about the direction of our Country,” said Jeff Roe, campaign consultant. “These numbers reflect the fact that the voters in Orange County are ready for a strong leader with a real vision, not the same wasteful spending of the current incumbent,” Roe continued.

Tran’s finance numbers are built upon individual donors not the liberal line-up of special interest groups that the incumbent’s report showcases.

“We are very excited and energized about the strong and early support,” Tran said, “but we understand that this is the beginning; we have a long campaign and a lot of work to do to transform the future of this country,” Tran concluded.

# # #

House Republican Recruitment Shines

By Chris Cillizza | July 8, 2009
The Washington Post

Six months into a world where political Washington is totally controlled by Democrats, recruitment efforts for House Republicans are showing promise — the first evidence, party strategists argue, that the hostile environment toward the GOP over the last few years is turning around.

In the last few days, former Rep. Steve Pearce (R) announced he would seek to regain his New Mexico seat in 2010, while state Sen. Steve Stivers (R), who lost in 2008 by just 2,312 votes to Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D), said he would make a rematch next fall.
Pearce and Stivers join a handful of other quality GOP House candidates including Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby in Alabama’s 2nd district, state Rep. Cory Gardner in Colorado’s 4th, Assemblyman Van Tran in California’s 47th and former Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio’s 1st.

“Candidate recruitment is often a leading political indicator,” said Ed Brookover, a longtime operative at the National Republican Congressional Committee and now a GOP media consultant. “Challenger candidates are often the first to feel a change in the political winds.”

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY VISIT:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/070809morning-fix-house-republ.html?hpid=news-col-blog