Pete Stark, the Walnut Creek community banker who parlayed his opposition to the Vietnam War into an unprecedented 40-year run representing the East Bay in Congress, died Friday at his home in Maryland, the family announced. He was 88. “Today,… Read More ›
Pete Stark
CA15: Brendan St. John is the man in the middle
Pleasanton’s Brendan St. John hopes to give CA15 voters an alternative to Swalwell. “I’ve always said the greatest thing about Eric Swalwell is no matter the opinion, he agrees with you.”
Prominent Tri-Valley developer indicted for illegal campaign contributions to Swalwell
Eric Swalwell announcing his first run forCongress at a 2011 rally in Dublin. 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTOn a rainy night in April 2012, during what would be former Rep. Pete Stark’s final political campaign, the irascible 40-year congressman lashed out at his… Read More ›
Eric Swalwell has visited Iowa so many times that CNN thinks he represents the Hawkeye State
Rep. Eric Swalwell barnstormed Iowa last week, fueling conversation that he’s eyeing a run at the 2020 Iowa Caucus. 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT–OPPOSITION RESEARCH–Over the last 10 months, Rep. Eric Swalwell has made up to four trips to Iowa. Starting in… Read More ›
Defiant Mike Honda squashes retirement talk: ‘Not on your life’
Rep. Mike Honda’s response to suggestions he should retire: “Not on your life.” CONGRESS | 17TH DISTRICT |Surrogates for Ro Khanna and one newspaper columnist have suggested Rep. Mike Honda should retire following his June 7 primary defeat. His answer in… Read More ›
A Parker upset will show Swalwell’s blessing means something
Bryan Parker and Rep. Eric Swalwell ALCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS | DISTRICT 4 |One of the interesting side stories to the Alameda County supervisors race is not just Rep. Eric Swalwell’s surprising endorsement last April of Bryan Parker, the challenger… Read More ›
Khanna welched on donation to charity organizing celebration of Jesus’ birth
CA-17 Democratic candidate Ro Khanna is facing a second claim that he failed to pay campaign debts. CONGRESS | 17TH DISTRICT |Just minutes after candidates in the 17th Congressional District concluded their one-and-only pre-primary debate last May 6, Republican candidate Ron… Read More ›
‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’: Swalwell misses vote allowing LGBT amendment to fail
Rep. Eric Swalwell CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT |As cries of “Shame! Shame! Shame!” from Democratic lawmakers rained down on the House floor Thursday over a failed amendment to bar contractors from federal contracts if they discriminate against the LGBT community,… Read More ›
Swalwell on Parker: ‘He will bring new energy and ideas’ to Board of Supervisors
Rep. Eric Swalwell posing with Parker volunteers at a Pleasanton farmers’ market earlier this month. ALCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS | DISTRICT 4 |East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell is again bucking the local party machine. He has endorsed former Oakland mayoral… Read More ›
Rep. Eric Swalwell sure is fond of Bryan Parker’s campaign for supervisor
Is Rep. Eric Swalwell telegraphing an intent to issue an endorsement for Bryan Parker? ALCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS | DISTRICT 4 |Just a whispers of whether Rep. Eric Swalwell will endorse Bryan Parker for Alameda County’s District Four supervisorial campaign… Read More ›
5 BEST EAST BAY PRIMARY RACES IN 2016: #3 ALCO SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 4
ELECTION16 | If the Alameda County Board of Supervisors are not gods in the context of East Bay governance, they are surely the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s almost a lifetime appointment unless you’re caught shooting up methamphetamines. That’s why Bryan… Read More ›
For the Stark boy, it’s Election Day
Fish Stark, son of former Rep. Pete Stark, is getting into the family business. PETE STARK | Fish Stark is a chip off the old block. The college-age son of former East Bay Congressman Pete Stark is facing his first… Read More ›
More on Swalwell’s peculiar presidential endorsement: It’s ‘meaningless’
Rep. Eric Swalwell CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Noted congressional elections expert Stuart Rothenberg is also scratching his head over Rep. Eric Swalwell’s endorsement of presidential candidate Martin O’Malley. Two weeks ago, I raised the idea that the announcement, from… Read More ›
How the lines are drawn meet two strong challenges
Rep. Eric Swalwell: One of the biggest winners following the state’s 2010 citizen-led redistricting.PHOTO/Shane Bond REDISTRICTING | The manner in which states decide how congressional district are drawn and exactly how many people represent each is facing stiff opposition. The… Read More ›
Run, Ro, Run?
Ro Khanna’s reported $800,000 in campaign finance indicates donors are still bullish about his future. CONGRESS | 17TH DISTRICT | When congressional campaign finance reports are released next week, they will show former 17th District candidate Ro Khanna has raised… Read More ›
UPDATE: Pete Stark’s college-age son is eyeing political office
Former Rep. Pete Stark in a graphic from 2011. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Many in East Bay have long expected Pete Stark’s young son will one day follow his father into the world of politics. Some even joke Fish… Read More ›
CA17 PREVIEW: A Close Race That May Trigger Even Bigger Questions For 2016
Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna MEET THE CANDIDATES Rep. Mike Honda has served the South Bay since 2000. During his seven terms Honda is viewed as one of the most liberal members of Congress, if not, the most. Widely… Read More ›
ELECTION PREVIEW: CA15 and the Best of the Rest in the East Bay
Hugh Bussell and Rep. Eric Swalwell THE CANDIDATES After upsetting 40-year Congressman Pete Stark in 2012, Rep. Eric Swalwell is seeking re-election for the first time. Last June, Republican Hugh Bussell, meanwhile, may have scored an even bigger upset than… Read More ›
Would Rep. Eric Swalwell Really Have Voted Against the Iraq War in 2002?
Rep. Eric Swalwell with an American soldier in Afghanistan. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Although Ellen Corbett’s main argument that Rep. Eric Swalwell isn’t progressive enough for the 15th Congressional District failed to land her a place on the November… Read More ›
Anatomy of an Upset
Ellen Corbett loses by 413 votes. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Just how big an upset did Hugh Bussell pull off last week? It’s hard to quantify since upsets normally entail winning something, but with the state’s top two primary… Read More ›
CA17: Mike Honda is a ‘Shadow Warrior"
Mike Honda: Sometimes you’re a leader, sometimes you’re a shadow warrior. CONGRESS | 17TH DISTRICT | Rep. Mike Honda described his legislative style in Congress during an interview with KCBS last Friday. “Sometimes you have be a leader, sometimes you have to… Read More ›
Primary Questions: CA-15 Preview
Rep. Eric Swalwell, State Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett and Hugh Bussell. THE CANDIDATES All you really know about Rep. Eric Swalwell’s first 18 months in Congress is he has compiled 350,000 frequent flier miles traveling from the East Bay… Read More ›
Primary Questions: CA-17 Preview
Clockwise from top: Rep. Mike Honda, Ro Khanna, Joel Vanlandingham and Vanila Singh THE CANDIDATES Ask around you will likely hear one of two things when talking about Rep. Mike Honda: he’s a “nice guy” or “he hasn’t done anything… Read More ›
Petition Asks Eric Swalwell to Act Like a Progressive
Before Swalwell, there was Ellen Tauscher, who batted away accusations she was not liberal enough for the district. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | The unmasking of Rep. Eric Swalwell as a moderate continues. “Stop lying to us. You’ve said repeatedly… Read More ›
CA-15 June Primary Preview: An Even Greater Challenge
Eric Swalwell, Ellen Corbett, Hugh Bussell CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Two years ago, Eric Swalwell ended Pete Stark’s four decades in Congress in one of the biggest political upsets in East Bay history. While Swalwell, a former Dublin city… Read More ›
This June, take their Suggestions and do the Opposite
MEDIA | ANALYSIS |The Bay Area News Groups version of political endorsements is here, or, better understood as an editorial staff of one filing out a page on an anti-worker edition of Mad Libs. On Wednesday it somewhat surprisingly passed… Read More ›
Rep. Swalwell Boasts No Other Freshman Dem Passed More Bills Than His One
Swalwell said he leads all freshman Democrats in bills passed with one. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | Offering fun facts and figures meant to add beef to his flimsy patty of work has been a hallmark of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s first term…. Read More ›
The Case for Debates in the East Bay
Debates are like NASCAR for Political Nerds | Kuo: One-Trick Pony? | More Odd Candidates Emerge CHAPTER 6 | A few years back I was having a conversation with a veteran Sacramento political consultant over a contentious Assembly race in… Read More ›
Bay Area House Delegation gets Younger with Rep. George Miller’s Retirement
Rep. George Miller to retire this year. CONGRESS | The Bay Area’s graying congressional caucus will get yet another shot of new energy with the retirement of Rep. George Miller following four decades in Washington. The announcement Monday morning was… Read More ›
Swalwell Places Bet on 49ers in Elaborate Video with N.C. Congressman
Rep. Eric Swalwell: 49ers fan. CONGRESS | 15TH DISTRICT | The 113th Congress is the least productive in American history. Instead of passing meaningful legislation, what exactly are they doing in Washington? Apparently, they are placing football bets with each… Read More ›