Need advice on challenging CA-46th in 2012

Hi,

I'm a complete political novice. But I live in Huntington Beach CA, and the representative for this diverse district is a smug piece of shit politician named Dana Rohrabacher. Many of you on DU are probably familiar with him as a useless sack of crap who has basically sat in congress since the late 80's scratching his ass.

He hasn't really had a seriously challenger as far as I have lived in the area. I'm not sure if I would run myself, I have no name recognition, campaign or political experience. But I am highly motivated in working to kick his ass out of congress in the next election cycle.

Where is a good place that I can start the work mounting a serious challenge to this disgraceful piece of crap? Who would I need to get in touch with locally to help start this process?

Thanks for your help!

Are you in contact with the local Democratic HQ? I think that is the obvious place to begin.

Having no previous political experience is something that you will need to focus on identifying as a plus, rather than a minus. It can be done.

You'll need to set up a campaign committee, you can get the form at your local elections office. Then you have to set up a campaign bank account under your campaign committee name, so you can raise funds and pay campaign expenses. Then, you have to file to run, which isn't hard at all. As for name recognition, there are a lot of very motivated progressives in Orange County and you should start by making connections with any progressive groups you can.

Your best bet is to contact your local party organizations:

Orange County Democratic Party
http://www.ocdemocraticparty.org/

Democratic Club of West Orange County
http://www.dcwoc.org/

you may even be more qualified than Rohrbacher - but if his constituency is hardcore Republican (IIRC recent elections he has won in a landslide) you will likely spend a chunk of your life and most of your savings for nothing.

Talk to Russ Warner, who went up against David Dreier in CA's 26th and lost - twice.

Good to try to detach yourself emotionally first before making a decision like that.

I haven't made any commitments yet, and believe me I am the posterboy for long shot if I were to run on my own.

I think if I had a better idea of how to start the process of kicking off a campaign, I'd have a better understanding of what I was getting myself into and would be more apt to help my local party search for a viable candidate.

And you're right, although Rorhabacher is a total douche and almost everyone in HB hates him, he's had the better part of a quarter century building up a formidable political machine that could topple any challenger.

If anyone is going to beat him, its got to be someone who is especially resourceful, clever, and somewhat charismatic. I'm not claiming to be any of those things, but at the very least I'd like to help my local party find someone who is.

Russ never could do that with Dreier, he played the gay-hypocrite and the in-business's-pocket cards, and neither played very well (IMO Republicans see the second as a plus)

It runs up the Coast from overwhelmingly conservative, Republican Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Rossmoor, narrows to a sliver as it by-passes most of the more liberal Long Beach area (and yet, somehow, does manage to gather in the yacht Harbor), then broadens again at the north end to encompass the wealthier, highly conservative communities of Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates.

As a liberal you will be "screwed, blued, and tatooed" before you ever file your intent or place your first yard sign.

Ask yourself, why are two such disparate regions -- separated by many, many miles -- contained within a single Congressional district? And the answer should give you a clue to what you need to do to correct the situation -- help force a more equitable redistricting within the State and progressive voices may have a chance to gain representation.