Mike Holmes
Auburn’s Mike Holmes is off and running — again — for Congress.
Holmes, an Auburn city councilman, retired U.S. Navy captain and decorated Vietnam War combat veteran, announced last week that he’ll take a second shot at replacing nine-term incumbent John T. Doolittle in the 4th Congressional District, which encompasses northeastern California from El Dorado County to the Oregon line. The primary election is next June 3.
Holmes challenged Doolittle in the 2006 Republican primary election and
garnered 33 percent of the vote. Doolittle spent at least $1 million to
win the nomination while Holmes’s campaign cost about $100,000.
Doolittle remains under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice for
possible corrupt activities related to his friendship and professional
association with crooked lobbyist and power broker Jack Abramoff, who
is now serving a stretch in federal prison while cooperating with
investigators in the hope of getting some time shaved off his sentence.
Nevertheless, the 56-year-old Doolittle insists that he’ll be a
candidate for re-election. Another possible GOP challenger is Eric
Egland of Roseville, a U.S. Air Force Reserve major who has said that
Doolittle is too damaged to win re-election.
Charlie Brown, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, appears to be
the only Democratic candidate for the congressional seat. He came
within three percentage points of defeating Doolittle in November 2006.
Holmes, who was Auburn’s mayor when he opposed Doolittle in the 2006
primary, stated in his announcement: “The 4th District deserves ethical
representation. Mr. Doolittle’s unabashed ties to convicted lobbyist
Jack Abramoff, along with the FBI’s raid on the congressman’s home in
Virginia last April, are two striking examples of his dishonorable
representation of our communities ... John Doolittle’s smash-and-grab
representation is a glaring example of why Americans overwhelmingly
disapprove of and distrust Congress.”
Holmes charged that Doolittle “personally profits from his seat in
Congress via his wife, who has been directly compensated from his
campaign funds. Not surprisingly, John Doolittle was one of only a
handful of House members to vote against strengthening congressional
ethics rules.”
Holmes is a fifth generation native of the 4th Congressional District. He and his wife Rita can be reached at (530) 889-2780.
Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed