The Never-Ending Steve Knightmare: Donald Trump Edition
“Steve Knight’s nightmare of a Donald Trump candidacy is coming true and he will have to deal with this down-ballot disaster as he tries to hold on to his competitive seat,” said Barb Solish of the DCCC. “It’s time for Knight to accept reality and tell his voters if he will support his party’s frontrunner.”
ICYMI: WILL TRUMP TURN STEVE KNIGHT’S SEAT BLUE?
The Los Angeles Times
March 17, 2016
Democratic party leaders were all but jubilant Wednesday over the potential down-ballot effect Donald Trump’s ascent could have as he continues to make strides toward securing the Republican Party presidential nomination.
One seat that Democrats are bullish on turning blue this fall is California’s 25th Congressional District, a seat held by first-term Republican Rep. Steve Knight of Lancaster.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico said the seat is “on our battlefield now in a very aggressive way.”
Matt Rexroad, Knight’s political consultant, said he had no comment on Luján’s statement and that Knight has not endorsed a candidate.
In January, Knight told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that he didn’t think Trump “could win the general [election] in a million years.”
Over the last year, national Democrats have expressed interest in ousting Knight, who previously represented the north Los Angeles County area in the state Senate and in the Assembly. In his statement, Luján mentioned one of Knight’s Democratic opponents, first-time candidate and attorney Bryan Caforio. He has racked up several endorsements from California’s Democratic congressional delegation and the Los Angeles County Young Democrats.
He has also attacked Knight for his slow response during the early days of the Porter Ranch gas leak.
Missing from Lujan’s remarks was the other Democrat in the race, LAPD Lt. Lou Vince, who won the state party’s nomination last month but has struggled to raise money and obtain support beyond local grassroots activists.
The district that stretches from Simi Valley to Lancaster and is almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with 21% of voters listing no party preference.