Rallies Call for End of Probe Into Sanchez Win

Latino activists rallied Wednesday in a dozen cities across the nation, including several in Southern California, echoing the months-long call by Democrats on Capitol Hill for an end to a House committee’s investigation of last fall’s upset win by Democrat Loretta Sanchez in Orange County’s 46th Congressional District.

In a stunt dubbed “Loretta Day,” simultaneous protests occurred outside the local offices of several House Republicans whose districts have significant Latino voting-age populations. Regionally, those targeted for such demonstrations were James E. Rogan in Pasadena, Stephen Horn of Long Beach, Brian P. Bilbray of San Diego and William M. Thomas of Bakersfield. A rally also was held in Sanchez’s district.

In Washington, a phalanx of congressional Democratic leaders gathered on the Capitol steps to reiterate their demand for a dismissal of the election probe, wearing orange “Free Loretta” ribbons in what has become a political fashion statement.

Whether in English or Spanish, the message to the House Republican leadership was the same: Put up or shut up--i.e., produce evidence that voting by noncitizens was widespread enough to overturn Sanchez’s 984-vote victory, or drop the case filed 11 months ago by Republican Robert K. Dornan, the longtime incumbent whom Sanchez beat.

“Ya basta”--enough is enough--activist Amin David said on the steps of the old Orange County courthouse in Santa Ana, surrounded by 30 Sanchez supporters in the heart of her district. “Now is tiempo [the time].”

A continent away, Rep. Darlene Hooley of Oregon spoke for other first-term Democrats in similar terms at the Washington protest.

“Please call off the political bloodhounds,” said Hooley, one of eight leaders of Democratic caucuses whose resolutions to dismiss the probe will be brought to the House floor today. “Enough is enough is enough.”

Though the rhetoric was time-worn, the venues were new Wednesday. From the City Hall steps in New York City to a park in downtown Miami to a candlelight vigil outside state Republican headquarters in Pueblo, Colo., Democrats attempted to take their case far outside the Beltway.

The implied threat was not subtle: By continuing to pursue the investigation, Republicans risk a backlash at the polls.

“The Dornan-Sanchez investigation is not just a California issue, but it concerns all Americans across the country,” said Bernedette Medrano of the Mexican-American National Women’s Assn., who was at the Santa Ana rally. “This investigation suppresses the participation not just of Latinos, but all voting and emerging populations.”

In Pasadena, a small but noisy demonstration was held on the sidewalk outside Rogan’s district office. Rogan, who joined fellow Republicans in defeating a Democratic move last week to end the investigation, represents a district in which Latinos make up 18% of voting-age residents.

The 25 protesters called Dornan a sore loser and described Sanchez as the victim of a “witch hunt.”

“It’s discrimination against this lady because she is a Latina,” said Yuny Parada, a member of the Pasadena Human Relations Commission.

In a written statement, Rogan defended the investigation. “What is at issue is the integrity of the American electoral process,” he said.

Horn, whose Long Beach district’s voting-age population is 22% Latino, brushed off suggestions that he could lose Latino support because of the Sanchez probe.

“The Hispanic people in my district happen to be sensible, carefully thinking people,” he said in Washington. “I think they will see the games being played--[Democrats] play the class warfare card, they play the racial card, they play the ethnic card.”

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban American Republican from Florida, responded to the protests by resigning from the National Assn. of Latino Elected Officials, which helped organize the rallies along with several other activist groups.

Ros-Lehtinen spokesman Juan Cortinas said the congresswoman “thinks it’s unfortunate that NALEO, which portrays itself as nonpartisan . . . has allowed itself to become an instrument of the Democratic Party.”

Wilgoren reported from Washington, Martin from Pasadena. Times correspondent Jeff Kass contributed to this story.