Rep. Jackie Speier

If ever there was a sure thing, it was Tuesday’s election of Jackie Speier to Congress as our district’s Representative. Ms. Speier first came to public attention when her boss, Congressman Leo Ryan, was assassinated in 1978 on an airstrip in Guyana. Shot five times herself and with help more than 20 hours away, it was a miracle that she survived. Shortly thereafter over 900 people died in the murder-suicide that became known as the Jonestown massacre.

Ms. Speier served in the State Assembly and State Senate for two decades and recently co-authored the book, This Is Not The Life I Ordered, which has garnered favorable reviews. She was the only politician whose name most of us recognized on the ballot, and she pulled in over 75% of the votes cast. She’s a shoo-in to win a two-year term in November, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if she holds onto the seat nearly as long--27 years--as the late Tom Lantos . Think of all the time we’ll save by not having to pay attention to local politics.

[Update - 12:25 PM PDT: When one holds a safe seat there's no need to moderate one's comments:

Newly elected Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of Hillsborough was sworn into Congress this morning and delivered a fiery speech criticizing President Bush's Iraq policy that led some Republicans to boo and walk out of the House chamber.]

© 2008 Stephen Yuen