Garamendi Sworn In, Swelling House Democratic Ranks

Democrat John Garamendi was sworn in Thursday as the new representative of California's 10th District.

Garamendi easily won a special election Tuesday to keep the House seat in Democratic hands. He succeeds Ellen O. Tauscher, who resigned her House seat to become undersecretary of State for arms control and international security.

Democrat Bill Owens, who captured a previously GOP-held seat in New York's 23rd District on Tuesday, is expected to be sworn in Friday. That would bring the House to full strength -- 435 members -- and give Democrats 258 votes versus 177 for Republicans.

Both Garamendi and Owens are expected to vote for the big health care overhaul scheduled for House floor action on Saturday.

Garamendi was by far the best known candidate in the race, by virtue of his 30-plus years of public service, which includes time in the state Assembly and Senate, as state insurance commissioner, and as deputy secretary of Interior under President Bill Clinton. Most recently, he served as lieutenant governor under Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Garamendi's sometimes direct quips have caused him trouble. After he branded Schwarzenegger the "worst governor in California history," Schwarzenegger stripped out about two-thirds of Garamendi's office budget.

When he announced his candidacy for the congressional seat, Garamendi said his front yard was in the 10th District, but his bedroom was in the 3rd. He later learned that the boundary runs along the other side of the Sacramento River, placing his entire Walnut Grove home in the 3rd, and his opponents tried to label him a carpetbagger.

Thanks to his name recognition, Garamendi raised $942,000 for the race, compared to $498,000 by his Republican opponent, David Harmer. But his campaign did not take the race for granted, mounting a phone-bank operation and volunteer canvassing in the lead-up to Election Day.