Valley political bonds strong

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Apr 1, 2005 | by Michael Doyle, MODESTO BEE

WASHINGTON — Jerry McNerney didn't bother seeking Rep. Dennis Cardoza's help the last time he ran for Congress.

McNerney, like Cardoza, is a lifelong California Democrat. Both want their party to regain control of Congress. But though McNerney won the endorsement of eight Democratic House members in his 2004 bid to unseat Republican Rep. Richard Pombo, he said he never called Cardoza.

"It was pretty well understood that he wasn't going to support anyone against Mr. Pombo," McNerney said Thursday.

Now, McNerney is anticipating making a second run against Pombo in 2006. He's also hearing talk about a potential, competing candidacy by Democratic state Sen. Mike Machado. But any San Joaquin Valley challenger, including a Republican who's now running against Cardoza, must confront a bipartisan incumbents' alliance that's stronger than ever.

"There are so many things we work on together," Pombo said Thursday, so "we stay out of each other's races."

On Tuesday, Cardoza and Pombo split roughly $50,000 raised at a bipartisan fund-raiser sponsored by prominentdeveloper Greenlaw "Fritz" Grupe. Grupe is active in both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, with subdivisions underway in Modesto, Turlock, Hughson, Waterford and Stockton.

Grupe also favors the kind of collaborative work Cardoza and Pombo have done on the Endangered Species Act and other issues. While agreeing the joint fund-raiser held at the developer's Lodi ranch was "rather unique," Cardoza said it sent the right kind of signal.

"Frankly, if we cooperated more aggressively, we would all be better off," Cardoza said.

Legislative cooperation, though, must coexist with the inherently competitive world of campaigning. Even as they collaborate in raising money to fend off opponents, Cardoza and Pombo are both plenty partisan in their own way. Just not with each other.

Both have been active in raising funds for members of their respective parties. Both offer endorsements to allies, which can help candidates.

Conversely, McNerney acknowledged that some potential supporters were likely wondering why Cardoza did not back his 2004 campaign. A Pleasanton resident with a Ph.D. in mathematics, McNerney ultimately lost to Pombo by a 61 percent to 39 percent margin last year.

Because incumbents almost always win re-election, they know that backing a challenger can run them afoul of a colleague who they will probably serve with again. All 52 California House members who sought re-election last year retained their jobs.

This disinclination to aid local challengers seems particularly common in the San Joaquin Valley, where congressional districts were drawn for maximum partisan advantage and where lawmakers share common views on water supplies, farming and other regional matters.

Pombo, for instance, never backed any of the Republicans running long-shot campaigns against Cardoza's predecessor, Ceres Democrat Gary Condit. Just this week, moreover, Mariposa Republican George Radanovich made clear that — contrary to a report in an Assyrian-American periodical — he hadn't endorsed GOP candidate John Kanno. A British-trained engineer and Modesto resident, Kanno is the first Republican to announce his 2006 challenge to Cardoza.

"Frankly, George has a good working relationship with Congressman Cardoza," Radanovich chief of staff Ted Maness said Thursday.

The incumbents' political calculations also take into account an individual candidate's viability. Pombo's outspending McNerney by a 7-to-1 margin last year underscored the probable outcome and made it relatively easier for some Democrats not to spend political capital on the challenger. This calculation might become more complicated if a seasoned politician with an independent power base like Machado enters the race.

"There have been calls made to him, but that's a big decision," Machado chief of staff Jody Fujii said Thursday.

Noting that Machado "just came off a very difficult re-election campaign," and that a congressional race would entail some serious family decisions, Fujii indicated she knew of no timeline for when Machado might commit one way or another.

Pombo said he doubted Machado would challenge him. He also said he doubted he and Cardoza will have another joint fundraiser any time soon.

"That was a fairly unique situation," Pombo said.