Pursuing her third term as a U.S. senator, Barbara Boxer is the
best choice to represent California.
Running unopposed in the democratic primary, Boxer was first
elected to the senate in 1992, when California became the first
state to have elected two women to serve together as senators.
Since, Boxer has been a strong advocate for education, the
environment and women’s rights.
Boxer authored legislation to provide federal money for
after-school programs and has worked to make drinking water safer.
She is a fierce defender of a woman’s right to choose and is
a leader in protecting women around the world. In 1997, Boxer put
forth a senate resolution calling for the United States not to
recognize the Taliban as an official government in Afghanistan
because of its brutal treatment of women.
Republicans will not have a strong candidate to challenge
Boxer.
Former California Secretary of State Bill Jones will likely
emerge from a crowded field of Republicans including three other
competitive candidates. By most accounts, Jones was a capable
secretary of state, but he finished a sad third in the GOP primary
for the governorship in 2002. A traditional conservative, he would
have trouble winning a statewide election for senate.
Toni Casey, the former mayor of Los Altos Hills, and Rosario
Marin, former U.S. treasurer, are running their campaigns saying
they could draw moderate votes from Boxer in a general election.
But both have résumé problems, offering little experience
as they pursue election.
From the far right, Howard Kaloogian has run a campaign based on
immigrant and gay bashing.
Kaloogian and the other Republicans say Boxer is out of step
with California values. But Boxer, who opposed war in Iraq and
stands up strongly against the Bush administration, offers a voice
in Washington that millions of voters in one of the country’s
most progressive states would not otherwise have.