Several candidates enter local races
Robert Shaffer
BURBANK -- Armand Hargett wants to take down a congressman and a state
senator.
Hargett, an Eagle Rock actor, filmmaker and weekend traffic school
instructor, is running for Rep. James Rogan’s seat in the U.S. House of
Representatives. The Democrat is challenging state Sen. Adam Schiff
(D-Burbank) for the party’s nomination, to be decided in a March primary
election.
Hargett is one of seven candidates entering political races in the
weeks before the filing deadline, which ended Dec. 10. He is the fourth
candidate to enter the congressional race -- incumbent Rogan (R-Glendale)
is being challenged by Schiff and Libertarian Ted Brown.
Campaigns for state office became more crowded as well. Dave Wallis
and Bob New filed their papers to replace Schiff as Burbank’s state
senator.
Wallis, a perennial Glendale City Council candidate who is part owner
of a television station, is a Republican. Libertarian Bob New, who ran
for Congress two years ago, also joined the race.
Wallis and New join Democrats Jack Scott and Scott Wildman, both
members of the state Assembly, and Republican Paul Zee, a South Pasadena
city councilman, in seeking to succeed Schiff in the Senate.
The 43rd Assembly District had no late entrants. The race to succeed
Wildman is between Democrats Dario Frommer, John Hisserich and Paul
Krekorian and Republicans Mark MacCarley, Liz Michael and Craig
Missakian.
Congressional candidate Hargett said he represents something different
than Schiff and Rogan.
“Rogan has the ability to play the Washington game, but not the
ability to play the representative game,” he said. “Schiff is a typical
Democrat who has bought the Democratic kit.”
If elected, Hargett said, he would use the Internet to communicate
with his constituents.
“We have the chance to make the purest form of democracy the world has
ever seen,” he said.
Hargett, 41, who has acted on “Days of Our Lives” and written and
directed the independent film “The Cloud Seeders,” a movie about two
people who fall in love while both are in comas. He doesn’t plan on
spending much money on his campaign and said he will just have fun with
it.
“I’m either going to win the election or write a really good book,” he
said.
MEET ARMAND HARGETT
OCCUPATION: Actor and filmmaker who also teaches traffic school
AGE: 41
HOME: Eagle Rock
FAMILY: Wife, Bonnie; two daughters
ON IMPEACHMENT: “It was a family matter,” he said. “Republicans
misused the Constitution.”
ON TAXES: “People don’t mind paying taxes, but they want better
services for the money they pay.” ON HIS CHALLENGE TO SCHIFF: “I would
love to throw a wrench into the machine.”