United States Senate election in California, 2010

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The United States Senate election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the junior Senator from California.

Democrat Barbara Boxer, the incumbent junior Senator from California, ran for re-election, and won, against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. The race was close, when there was less than one week until election day, FiveThirtyEight projections still considered the race to be a toss-up. Despite the race being classified as a toss-up, Boxer had a 93 percent chance of winning re-election as opposed to Fiorina's slight 6.9 percent chance of gaining a spot in the Senate.

A USC/Los Angeles Times poll from a few days before the election found that Fiorina trailed Boxer by eight points, 50 percent to 42 percent. The Field Poll also showed Boxer with double-digit leads among both independents and women right before the election. The poll carries a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.


Main Candidates

  • Barbara Boxer, Democrat
  • Carly Fiorina, Republican

Result

Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer has won the 2010 Senatorial election. She received 52 percent of the votes. Fiorina received 43 percent.

Fiorina conceded on Wednesday morning after 99 percent of precincts had reported. Boxer was the clear winner in the race. [1]

Primary Issues

Barbara Boxer

According to Boxer's website, she takes the following stances on these issues:

Agriculture Senator Boxer has been a longtime champion of California’s agricultural industry, and she understands its vital importance to the state’s economy. She has fought to open international markets for California-grown agricultural products and to help protect California crops from diseases and pests. She has worked to make federal food inspection programs more effective, and her efforts to strengthen conservation programs will help protect California’s agricultural resources for future generations.

Appropriations Requests "As a United States Senator, part of my job is to know the funding priorities of our state of California so that I can support those that help create jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, and provide important resources to our children, seniors, and families."

Defense and Foreign Policy Since 2002, Senator Boxer has worked diligently to bring the Iraq war to an end. While she has opposed the war, she has consistently supported our service men and women – fighting for additional funds to protect our troops from roadside bombs and provide them with body armor, and supporting pay raises. Senator Boxer has always been a strong supporter of giving the U.S. military what it needs to effectively do its job. Throughout her career, Senator Boxer has also worked tirelessly to ensure that the United States continues to be a leader in the fight against global diseases and epidemics. A senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she helped create the first-ever subcommittee to focus on global women’s issues, which she has used to promote efforts to end violence against women, particularly in conflict zones.

Economy Senator Boxer understands that Californians and people across the country are struggling through this recession. She is working to strengthen California’s economy and the nation’s economy by leading efforts to create jobs, help small businesses compete and provide much-needed tax relief for middle-class families. She has also been a strong advocate for California businesses, promoting policies to help the state’s agricultural, high-tech, biotechnology, entertainment companies succeed.

Education Senator Boxer firmly believes that a quality education is the key to our children's success and our nation's economic future. She is a proud graduate of public schools from kindergarten through college and an outspoken advocate for improving our nation's public school system, providing early education to all children and expanding access to higher education. She has and will continue to work to improve our public schools by helping communities repair crumbling schools, reduce class sizes, and hire more highly qualified teachers.

Environment Senator Boxer has earned a reputation as the Senate’s leading champion on protecting our environment. She chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and is the first woman in Senate history to do so. Throughout her career, Senator Boxer has fought to protect California’s spectacular coast, mountains, deserts, rivers and forests to preserve them for future generations.

Health Care Senator Boxer is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare that they can rely on. The status quo is unsustainable. Too many of our fellow citizens are suffering because of the broken promises of a health insurance system that abandoned them when they needed it most.

Homeland Security Senator Boxer is working to make sure the government is doing everything possible to protect every Californian and every American. She meets regularly with first responders, airport staff, seaport security and rail workers throughout the state to hear from those on the frontlines protecting Californians every day. In Washington, Senator Boxer continues to fight to fully fund critical security initiatives.

Housing California has been among the states hardest hit by the housing crisis. Senator Boxer has fought for policies to keep families in their homes, to promote access to affordable housing and to ensure responsible lending practices and greater transparency. To help homeowners facing foreclosure, Senator Boxer has worked on measures to allow homeowners to refinance or modify their mortgages so they can stay in their homes.

Military and Veterans Senator Boxer is grateful for the sacrifices made by our service men and women and their families. She has diligently worked to ensure that members of our nation’s armed forces are afforded the care and services they deserve. She is one of the Senate’s leading voices to improve mental health services throughout the Armed Services and for our veterans. As a Senator from the state of California—home to one of the largest veterans’ populations in the United States—Senator Boxer believes that we have an obligation to provide veterans with the health care and benefits they have earned through service to our country.

Water As Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Boxer has led efforts to increase investment in water infrastructure to protect communities from flooding, provide safe drinking water for families and improve management of water supplies. Throughout her Senate career, Senator Boxer has worked to secure funding for flood control, habitat restoration and water supply projects across California.

Wilderness and Public Lands California's 43 million acres of public land encompass some of the most magnificent and pristine natural areas in the United States. From Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, to Death Valley National Park, the lowest, our state stands out for the diversity of its natural beauty. California also has some of the nation’s most important historic sites, including some of the first European and Asian settlements in the nation.

Carly Fiorina

According to Fiorina's website, she takes the following stances on these issues:

Abortion Fiorina is pro-life and against abortion. She "believes that life begins at conception." According to a June 2010 "Los Angeles Times" article, Fiorina has said she wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

California's Water Crisis Fiorina wants to work with the U.S. Senate to turn the California water pumps back on. "Bringing relief to the thousands of California farmers and farm workers who are out of work and also to the many other family-owned, agriculture businesses in the Central Valley due to the water crisis is one of my highest priorities.”

Creating Jobs Fiorina says creating jobs should be America's number one priority. Focusing on small businesses, family companies and entrepreneurs is key for both economic growth and job creation.

Death Penalty Fiorina believes in the death penalty "for our nation’s worst murderers."

Education Fiorina believes that the government has the responsibility "to ensure that all students – regardless of background, socioeconomic status or ethnicity – have the tools they need to thrive in school and beyond." Fiorina supports Bush's No Child Left Behind. She says it "helped us set high standards for our students." Fiorina supports standardized testing, as well as rewards and consequences based on testing scores.

Energy and the Environment Fiorina supports "the development of all domestic forms of energy, including nuclear, solar, wind and clean coal, and the exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas." However, she says that clean and green technology "is not a panacea" but is rather "a promise and commitment to invest in technologies that will lead us to clean and renewable sources of domestic energy in the future."

Health Care Fiorina pledged to repeal the recent legislation signed by President Obama. She believes in affordable health care insurance for all Americans at lower costs, regardless of pre-existing conditions. She believes in passing bipartisan reforms that encourage competition in the health insurance market.

Immigration Securing borders is essential to Fiorina. She wants to "develop an effective visa program and temporary worker program to support legal immigrants who fulfill important roles in our nation’s economy."

Law Enforcement Fiorina believes there should be a strong bond between the U.S. Senate and law enforcement and that law enforcement has been working to fill the void between the federal government and their public safety responsibilities. She wants to create a reliable budget for law enforcement. With regard to drug abuse, Fiorina does not believe in the legalization of marijuana and that it should be regulated like every other prescription drug. Fiornia also champions drug courts as a low-cost and effective model to battle drug recidivism. Fiorina also wants to coordinate state and federal law enforcemnt to work against gang activity, especially with regards to Mexican drug cartels.

Marriage Fiorina "believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and she supported California’s Proposition 8."

Protecting America Fiorina "strongly opposes trying foreign terrorists in civilian court, and she also opposes closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. These enemy combatants have not earned the right to protections under the U.S. Constitution and should not be given special treatment for political reasons."

Reducing the Deficit Fiorina says that reducing the deficit "requires taking on the difficult task of prioritizing programs and spending our taxpayer dollars where they have the greatest impact." She says that "the irresponsible, massive borrowing must stop.”

Restoring Fiscal Responsibility Fiorina believes the federal government must "abolish earmarks, force honest accounting, take the power to cook the books away from politicians, and limit federal salaries and benefits." She also believes that bills and budgets should be posted on the internet prior to congressional votes.

Alternate Candidates

Campaign Totals For Main Candidates

  • Barbara Boxer 
 has raised: $26,237,200
 has spent:  $24,776,293
  • Carly Fiorina 
 has raised: $17,888,405
 has spent:  $16,616,855

From: [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?cycle=2010&id=CAS1}

Tip Line

Add below any tips, news, links or items to fact check

  • Endorsements, Fiorina: LA Daily News, San Diego Union- Tribune, Orange County Register, Bakersfield Californian, Fresno Bee.
  • San Francisco Chronicle hasn't endorsed either candidate.
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars have rescinded their endorsement of Boxer.

Background Check

Carly Fiorina

  • Education - BA, Stanford; MBA, University of Maryland; M.S., MIT
  • Employment - CEO Hewlett-Packard 1999-2005, forced to resign from HP in 2005, severance totaled $21 million. previously: VP at Lucent Technologies
  • Key Donors - $63,000 from Appalachian coal-mining interests
  • Political affiliation - Republican
  • Conflict of interest - TK

Barbara Boxer

  • Education - BA, Economics, Brooklyn College
  • Employment - House of Representatives, California: 1983-1993. United States Senator, California: 1993-2011.
  • Political affiliation - Democratic Party
  • Key Donors: top five contributors are Emily’s List (a pro-choice group), Girardi & Keese (a law firm), the University of California, Time Warner, and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy (another law firm)(via Good Magazine)
  • Conflict of interest - "Deeds of trust compiled by Leslie Merritt and Frank Perry of the Foundation for Ethics in Public Service show that she and her husband, Stewart, held seven mortgages with Countrywide, the company that gave mortgage discounts to influential customers including Sens. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. and Kent Conrad,R-N.D. Senate rules prohibit members from accepting deals not available to other borrowers." Read more at the Washington Examiner: Boxer's Conflict of Interest While Investigating Colleagues
  • Barbara Boxer worked hard for her position as Senator, Carly would work harder in the position http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4RF6cx0SY
  • Barbara Boxer is up 3% in the election for California Senate

Campaign Ads

CANDIDATE: BARBARA BOXER: TITLE: "OUTSOURCING"; DATE POSTED: SEPTEMBER 15,2010

Validated statements

  • As CEO of HP, she laid off 30,000 and sent the jobs to China:
  • Fiorina's salary did triple between 2001 and 2002 but then decreased 
2000: $3.7 million
2001: $1.2 million
2002: $4.1 million
2003: $3.5 million
2004: $3.2 million
  • A yacht and 5 corporate jets were purchased
  • Many of the soundbites used in the ad come from an interview on 1/17/08 with the KLRU-PBS show Texas Monthly Talks:

CANDIDATE BARBARA BOXER: LABEL; OCTOBER 11, 2010

Statements to check

  • How often has Fiorina opposed her party?
  • According to a The Washington Post article, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/fiorina-is-running-on-her-reco.html, Fiorina "unlike other candidates across of the country, spends little time discussing her family, political work she has previously done (Fiorina had not even voted for much of her life before the campaign) or her political philosophy, beyond general opposition to taxes and spending and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)."

She has been introduced at events as "the only woman to ever lead a Fortune 20 company," while another called her "a very successful businesswoman." In one of her campaign commercials being aired now, when Fiorina first appears on screen, she declares simply, "I'm Carly Fiorina. I ran Hewlett Packard." She never mentions her role as a politician, therefore, has not formerly opposed her party in any way.

"I have never run for public office before, but I believe that our founding fathers intended ours to be a citizen government," she said at a GOP event. Repeating lines she uses frequently, she added, "I have not run for public office before, but I have been very fortunate to live the American dream. Only in this country, only this country, could a woman who was a history major in college, a law school dropout and started her career as a full-time receptionist in a nine-person company, only here could I have the chance to become CEO of one of the largest and greatest companies in the world."

Barbara Boxer Doesn't Share Our Values

Spanish Language Ad

“Barbara Boxer doesn’t share our values. She supports abortion and homosexual marriage and voted against immigration reform to permit our people to come here legally to work,” the ad’s announcer says, according to a script provided by the groups. “We’ve had enough of her talk. Carly Fiorina for US Senate. Our values. Our senator.” From LA Times

"Boxer has long favored tougher border security, but she has also advocated a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States." From [2]

"Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, denounced the guest worker program, saying it would create a pool of 'desperate low-wage workers' whom employers could easily exploit." From [3]

Validated Statements: Boxer

  • She did not agree with the guest worker program because she thought it would not be beneficial to the immigrants. A New York TImes article says, "Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, denounced the guest worker program, saying it would create a pool of desperate low-wage workers whom employers could easily exploit."

Carly No Es Mi Amiga (Carly Fiorina Is Not My Friend)

Validated Statements: Fiorina

  • “It is less onerous than federal immigration law, it is certainly less onerous then the immigration laws in Mexico, or virtually any other country,” she said. “I think sadly the people of Arizona felt they had no choice but to protect their citizens.” Fiornina on Arizona's immigration policy in an interview with George Stephanopoulos [4]
  • Q: On illegal immigration, you support the Arizona crackdown, the new law in Arizona. What do you say to those Latino voters--and it's a big voting bloc in California--who say this is going to lead to racial profiling?

A: You know, I'm very proud of the large number of Hispanic endorsements that I've received. And when I talk with members of the Latino community--and I will continue to reach out to them--what they say to me is you know what, this is a question of criminals crossing the border. The truth is this. The federal government isn't doing its job. It's the federal government's job to secure the border. The Obama administration has de-funded securing the border. While Barbara Boxer stands up and challenges the constitutionality of the Arizona law and vilifies people of Arizona, what she should be doing--what I would be doing--is figuratively standing on the president's desk and saying, "Mr. President, the federal government needs to do its job and secure the border." Source: 2010 Fox News interview with Chris Wallace Jun 13, 2010 [5]

External Links

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