Bono Mack Draws Dem Challenger in California

By Rachel Kapochunas | March 18, 2009 12:37 PM | | Comments (1)

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Mary Bono Mack

Months after her district favored President Obama for president, Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack appears to have drawn an experienced Democratic challenger for her 2010 re-election bid: Democrat Steve Pougnet, mayor of Palm Springs.

Pougnet recently filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and established a campaign committee to run against the six-term incumbent.

CQ Photo
Steve Pougnet

Bono Mack's southern California 45th District, which encompasses the cities of Palm Springs and Moreno Valley, has past exhibited a Republican lean, supporting Bono Mack for re-election and President Bush with 56 percent of the vote in 2004. But in 2008, while Bono Mack won re-election over Democratic educator Julie Bornstein with 58 percent, district voters favored Barack Obama 52 percent to 47 percent, according to a CQ vote analysis. Bono Mack is one of 34 "Obama Republicans" who won re-election in 2008 in districts carried by Obama.

Bono Mack was first elected in a 1998 special election to replace her husband, former entertainer Sonny Bono, who was killed in a skiing accident. Bono married Florida Republican Rep. Connie Mack in 2007.

Pougnet was elected mayor in 2007 after serving on the city council.

Greg Giroux contributed to this story.

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    Comments

  1. Does Congressperson Bono-Mack live in her district or in her husband's district?

    Posted by: Jerry Skurnik Author Profile Page | March 19, 2009 1:21 PM

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