Special election to replace Devin Nunes in Congress is confusing and largely pointless
Upon opening the mailbox and spotting the paper pamphlet with those familiar graphics, the initial feeling was one of confusion.
What? We’re having another election? Already? Then it dawned on me. This wasn’t a voter information guide for any ordinary election. This was the guide for the special election in California’s soon-to-expire 22nd Congressional District, a contest over who gets to become a minor historical footnote.
“There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter,” former President Barack Obama once said. “It all matters.”
Obama made that statement in 2016 during a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner. I’d like to see him — or anyone — make that same argument to the 415,442 registered voters (at last count) spread across Fresno and Tulare counties who reside in CD-22.
Because the special election underway to see who gets to mop up after Devin Nunes must rank as the least consequential in recent memory.
As in, who wins doesn’t matter a whole heckuva lot — unless you’re someone who looks at the world through a partisan lens. Liberal Democrat or conservative Republican, that person will barely be in Washington, D.C. long enough to unpack a suitcase and align their toiletries on the hotel sink. On the House floor, their assigned seat might as well have a sign taped to the back with the words: “Just visiting.”
Four Republicans and two Democrats are on the official ballot in the special primary. Since none are particularly well known and voter registration in the district is roughly even (Republicans hold a 5% edge), it’s mathematically probable none will garner 50% of the vote. Meaning the top two will likely advance to a June 7 runoff — to be held concurrently with the statewide primary for the November midterms.
Talk about ballot bewilderment. While being asked to choose their congressional representative for the final seven months of 2022, voters in CD-22 will also be selecting between candidates for 2023-24 using a completely redrawn map of district boundaries.
The seven-month tenure would rank as the shortest of any House member in California history and among the 20 briefest in U.S history. The record for shortest tenure is held by Effingham Lawrence, who spent one day in Congress in 1875. More recently, Kwanza Hall served 31 days in the House following John Lewis’ death in 2020.
Lawrence and Hall both have Wikipedia pages, so at least there’s that.
While seven months sounds like a decent chunk of time, Capitol Hill follows its own calendar. Especially in an election year.
Let’s say as soon as the votes are counted June 7, the winner of the special election flies to Washington, D.C., and immediately gets sworn in. That person, at most, would be present for 10 days worth of House sessions in June and 12 more in July, according to the congressional calendar. After that, the House is in recess for two of the next three months (August and October) as incumbents seeking re-election focus on their campaigns.
When the House reconvenes for nine days in November following the general election and 10 more in December, those are called lame-duck sessions for a reason. And there’s no duck more lame than a temporary politician in an expiring district.
Bigger names exit special election
Not to denigrate the six candidates on the CD-22 special election ballot, but there’s a reason why the bigger, more established names pulled out of the race and elected to run for a full two-year term elsewhere.
One week, Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig was “totally committed” to succeeding Nunes. The next, the Republican withdrew in order to concentrate on the newly drawn District 5. Likewise for Phil Arballo, the Democrat who lost to Nunes in 2020 and opted to try his luck in District 13.
When the dust settled, voters were left with a lackluster field containing one candidate (Republican Connie Conway) with prior legislative experience and five others (Republicans Michael Maher, Matt Stoll and Elizabeth Heng, plus Democrats Eric Garcia and Lourin Hubbard) who have never held elected office. Of the five, only Heng and Garcia have prior campaign experience.
The fact that one of these relative unknowns will get to put congressman or congresswoman on their resume is, frankly, kinda nuts.
Of course, we wouldn’t be having this discussion if not for Nunes’ decision to resign his seat and become CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group, whose social media site has been beset by bugs and glitches since its launch a month ago.
Things are going so poorly even Donald Trump doesn’t bother to post on Truth Social, even though the app is designed for him and his supporters. Fortunately, for Nunes’ sake, the former president is renowned for his patience and forgiveness with subordinates.
Anyway, it’s too late for Nunes to change his mind. Leaving his former constituents to make up theirs in a largely inconsequential special election.
