California’s recently implemented “Top Two” all party primary system has created an unusual situation in this year’s contest for U.S. Senate. With Senator Barbara Boxer retiring, voters selected as their top two candidates for November two Democrats. California Attorney-General Kamala Harris, endorsed by the California Democratic Party, faces a challenge from Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who represents Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange and Garden Grove in the U.S. Congress.

Republicans and Libertarians are shut out of this Senate race by the top two primary; many plan to skip this race in November. But Independents, Republicans and Libertarians should consider Rep. Sanchez because of her record in Congress.

Rep. Sanchez voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq. The AUMF provided a legal justification for George W Bush’s war on Iraq. The pre-emptive invasion of Iraq was justified by claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and claims of ties to Al Qaida. Both claims have been proved false. The war has resulted in nearly 5000 American casualties, more than 40,000 wounded Americans, and trillions of dollars in new federal debt to pay for a war of choice.

In voting against a pre-emptive war on Iraq, Rep. Sanchez split with many leaders of the Democratic Party. Sen. Hilary Clinton, Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Joe Lieberman all voted in favor of Bush’s war.

In the wake of the 9/11 terror attack, The Bush administration proposed the Patriot Act, to provide new powers to the federal government to investigate questionable activity, in the hopes of stopping future attacks. Opponents, including Rep. Ron Paul, warned of the threat to the freedom of all Americans. Rep. Loretta Sanchez voted against the Patriot act, along with Ron Paul and a minority of Congress. Sen. Hilary Clinton joined with 48 other Democrats and 49 Republicans and one Independent to pass the Patriot Act in the Senate.

In the last year of the Bush Administration, a speculative bubble fed by low interest rates maintained by the Federal Reserve, posed a threat to major financial institutions that took part in the bubble. President Bush and Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson proposed a $700 billion tax funded bailout of major banks. Rep. Loretta Sanchez voted against the bailout of the banks, again breaking with Democrat leaders including Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Hilary Clinton, Sen. Joe Biden and others who voted to give $700 billion in taxpayers money to badly managed banks.

In her votes against the Iraq War, the Patriot Act and the Bank Bailout, Rep. Loretta Sanchez sided with Rep. Ron Paul, and voted in opposition to Sen. Hilary Clinton. Rep. Loretta Sanchez is the best choice in California’s Senate race. We hope that Libertarians, Republicans and Independents will join with antiwar Democrats to elect Loretta Sanchez on November 8, 2016.

(By Gene Berkman, Editor, California Libertarian Report)