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.”