“Katie Hill has already proven herself a tireless advocate for Southern California’s most vulnerable people and families throughout her career. Katie’s grassroots-driven campaign and her story, deeply rooted in this district, will be a force to be reckoned with this fall.” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Drew Godinich, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 6, 2018
RE: The Case Against Steve Knight
Steve Knight has the unfortunate distinction of being named one of the most vulnerable House incumbents in 2018. A poor fundraiser with even worse political instincts, Knight voted for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the GOP Tax Scam, hurting working families in his district – and his own chances at re-election.
A recent poll found that more than half of likely midterm voters are less likely to support Knight because of his vote for the Tax Scam. Democrats won’t let him forget it.
While Steve Knight is defending his 99% Trump voting record in a district that Hillary Clinton won by 7 points, Katie Hill will continue to build momentum (she’s already outraised Knight) and talk about her agenda to lower healthcare costs and increase wages for hard working Californians.
The daughter of a cop and a nurse, Katie Hill is uniquely positioned to appeal to the hardworking voters that live in this Democratic-trending district. She has outraised Steve Knight quarter after quarter, and has the clear momentum going into this general election. This is a race Democrats are ready to win.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: “Is Steve Knight Too Out of Touch to Be Reelected to the House?” [Capital and Main, 05/29/2018]
“In the past, those incumbents with a high number of risk factors have typically been the ripest targets. … Only one incumbent, Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25), has all seven risk factors.” [Cook Political Report, 4/20/2018]
“Thirty-seven percent of likely voters in his district approve of the second-term congressman’s job performance and 53 percent disapprove – 40 percent strongly. … Knight also appears to be paying a political price for his vote in favor the new tax law Congress passed in December. The law caps the amount federal taxpayers can deduct for state and local taxes, which are particularly high in California. Over half of likely voters in Knight’s district say that vote makes them less likely to support his re-election. They had the same response to Knight’s vote to repeal and replace Obamacare, a proposal that passed in the House last spring but failed to advance in the Senate.” [Sacramento Bee, 2/6/2018]
“If Hill advances, Knight would probably become the underdog.” [Cook Political Report, 5/2/2018]
“A majority of voters, 54%, said they would be less likely to reelect their representative if that member of Congress voted to repeal the healthcare law… Nearly half of voters, 47%, said they opposed the federal tax overhaul signed by Trump in December. It had support of 27% of voters surveyed, and 26% weren’t sure or had no opinion. A slim majority of voters, 52%, said they would be less likely to vote to reelect their member of Congress if he or she supported the bill. [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/2018]
HEADLINE: “Here’s why Trump’s tax plan will hit Californians especially hard” [LA Times, 9/27/2017]
STEVE KNIGHT: BACKBENCHING YES-MAN
Voted for Healthcare Premium Hikes, In the Pocket of Big Pharma
Knight’s vote for the AHCA endangered healthcare for 45,600 of his own constituents, gutted pre-existing condition protections, and imposed an age tax on seniors. He also repeatedly voted to increase health care premiums,which are expected to increase by nearly 18% in California. He now has his sights set on slashing Social Security and Medicare.
And don’t forget – while he has done nothing to lower the price of prescription drugs, Steve Knight has taken tens of thousands in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, and even took a Hawaii vacation paid for by Big Pharma.
Voted for GOP Tax Scam, Made Home Ownership More Expensive
After hemming and hawing about whether he would support the tax plan unless it addressed the SALT and property tax deductions that Californians depend upon, he voted for the bill anyway. His reasoning: “Knight on Wednesday acknowledged that Republicans feel they need to pass a tax reform plan in order to score a legislative victory this year after the majority party failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act.” That ‘legislative victory’ is projected to reduce home values in Ventura County by an average of $47,530 and eliminate savings on $11,743 of taxes on the average SALT deduction beneficiary in his district. Experts warn that Californians could now face “double taxation” due to the Tax Scam.
YES MAN: Knight Votes With Trump and Republicans More Than 90% of the Time
Long-time watchers of the 25th District will remember that Steve Knight claimed that he didn’t support Donald Trump during his 2016 re-election – then turned around and voted for him anyway. So it probably won’t surprise you that Knight falsely claimed he didn’t vote with his party more than 80% of the time not once, but twice. In fact, he’s voted with his party 93% of the time and with Donald Trump 99% of the time (despite his district voting for Hillary Clinton by 7 points).
THE PATH TO VICTORY
California’s 25th Congressional District is a majority suburban seat situated in northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County. The district boasts a large population of working families, and the voting age population is 26% Latino. Democrats hold a 4 point registration advantage in the district. Hillary Clinton’s 7 point win and the changing demographics of this seat already make Steve Knight’s re-election an uphill climb. Knight is the last Republican to represent LA County, and a showdown with Katie Hill only lowers his chances of returning to Congress.
Steve Knight ran as a Tea Party conservative in 2014, and has shown no signs of abandoning that label. On vote after vote, Knight has repeatedly sided with Washington Republicans and lobbyists over the needs of his own constituents.
In Katie Hill, Democrats have a battle-tested outsider candidate with a clear record of service and results. Katie grew up in the district and knows its values. She has outraised and out-hustled Steve Knight on the campaign trail, and is a strong position going into the general election.