If you are still having trouble deciding who to vote for, remember which group of politicians created this mess. Reject politicians, old or new who don’t stand up for limited, responsible and constitutional government, private property rights and individual rights. Since everyone is aware of the high profiles in the state, I took some time and looked at noticeable races on the GOP ticket that can have an impact on the congressional and state assembly makeup. Although out of the spotlight, they are high profile races which are drawing lots of outside money from independent groups. When you’re watching returns tonight, keep the following races in mind.

[media-credit id=20109 align=”alignleft” width=”138″][/media-credit]Congressional District (CD) 11 and CD 47 feature David Harmer and Van Tran respectively. Harmer, in San Joaquin County and Tran in Orange County are both top targets for the National Republican Congressional Committee because they are the two potential congressional pickups in California. Harmer, who won a vicious four-way primary, has benefited from anger toward the Obama administration and a failing economy. Tran, who is Vietnamese, is looking to upset entrenched Loretta Sanchez and is counting on a huge voter turnout from the Vietnamese population to push him over the top in this race.

There are also some good races to watch for the State Assembly. Republicans will be pleased to see the return of their Minority Leader, Martin Garrick of the 74th Assembly District. Garrick is a champion for transparency, education, tight budgets and economic growth and was a key player keeping new taxes out the California Budget. His strong leadership and principals have been valuable to any advocate of limited government. Another important candidate is Mike Stoker, running here in Santa Barbara for the 35th district.  Stoker has faced an uphill battle from the beginning with voter registration favoring Democrats, but has worked hard to raise money to keep ads on the air and mailboxes full. 

With his dedication to good government and a record to prove it, fiscally concerned Democrats, independents and Republicans are supporting Stoker. His opponent, Das Williams, has a remarkable story, but is supported by the typical left wing special interest groups like education, unions and environmentalists, which have made this state nearly ungovernable, and Williams can’t be counted on to resist their influence when they call in favors. As Obama proved, an inspiring story doesn’t necessarily equate to good governing. Mike Stoker would make a terrific assemblyman.

Another winnable race is the 68th Assembly District where Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor is running against Phu Nguyen. Although Nguyen has an obnoxious and silly campaign song, Nguyen “The Best” can’t win it all. Mansoor brings extensive background in law enforcement and local government as a council member and mayor. Keep an eye on these congressional districts and assembly districts election night, as they will contribute to California’s national and local politics.