U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer speaks at La Traviata in downtown Long Beach this morning as Mayor Bob Foster (seated at left) and Congressmember Laura Richardson look on. Photo by Ryan ZumMallen.
1:45pm | Just mere days after her challenger held a press conference in Long Beach, incumbent U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D) held a private fundraiser at the downtown Long Beach restaurant of La Traviata on Friday morning to rally her supporters as she gears up to face Carly Fiorina (R) in the general election this November.
While the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce has announced support for Fiorina, two of the city’s highest-profile politicians were by Boxer’s side this morning as both Congresswoman Laura Richardson and Mayor Bob Foster sat and smiled while Boxer delivered a speech to applause from the packed restaurant.
The event was hosted by the Long Beach Democratic Club, the LAMBDA Democratic Club, and the Long Beach Young Democrats among others.
It’s clear that a central issue in this race will be the state’s economy and employment rate, as Fiorina has used her background as a CEO – though her results at the helm of HP are debatable – to present herself as business-friendly and pro-jobs in her Long Beach appearances. Boxer obviously recognizes the challenge and spoke at length about the measures needed to restore the California job market, with the slogan Jobs For California emblazoned across campaign posters. As a three-term incumbent, she has proven vulnerable to criticism of being anti-business, and recent polls show Fiorina holding a lead.
Both have spent time in Long Beach recently, largely because of the importance of the local harbors and ports as a source of employment, industry and a barometer for the nation’s economy. Also for the city’s reputation for manufacturing; one that, frankly, has gone sour in recent years as many large corporations have dwindled or left altogether, taking jobs with them. Expect to see both candidates in the South Bay area – if not Long Beach – many times before November rolls around.
Disclosure: lbpost.com publisher Shaun Lumachi is a government affairs advisor to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce