Our endorsement for Congressman Josh Harder comes down to these reasons

At The Modesto Bee’s recent, highly entertaining congressional debate, U.S. Rep. Josh Harder was asked about top challenger Ted Howze’s campaign calling Harder an “ultra-left incumbent (who has been) schmoozing the San Francisco champagne and brie crowd.” Harder’s response: “Judge me by my record.”

Let’s set aside heated rhetoric and do just that — judge Harder, a Turlock Democrat, by what he’s done.

In the 13 months he’s been in office, Harder has:

• Collaborated on more legislation with across-the-aisle Republicans than any other House Democrat in the country.
• Hosted 18 town halls. This was a huge issue in the 2018 campaign, when Harder chided four-term Congressman Jeff Denham for only holding “open” meetings that Denham could stack with supporters.
• Introduced some 30 bills and amendments covering issues ranging from mental health and education to jobs and swamp rats, all aimed at helping the Central Valley and our 10th Congressional District. Some succeeded, including legislation guaranteeing that military veterans exposed to Agent Orange get treatment, and the first bill in 50 years to set aside federal money in Valley water projects.

It’s tempting to say that’s an impressive start for a rookie with no previous experience in elective office. The truth is, it would be impressive for any seasoned representative.

In this field of three Republicans and three Democrats, Harder is the clear choice. He deserves another term representing us in Congress.

It’s curious that two fellow Democrats feel a need to challenge Harder. Asked at the debate why they have, Oakdale candidate Ryan Blevins said he opposed Harder’s vote for military spending, and Manteca’s Mike Barkley cited unspecified “irregularities” in Harder’s 2018 campaign finances.

Blevins, a first-time candidate and robotics engineer, wore a T-shirt with the logo “Make America Think Harder” under a blazer. The audience laughed at the last word in that slogan.

This is Barkley’s fifth try for this seat. He works hard knocking on doors all over the district, but his progressive views are not a good match for the Valley — he would abolish the Second Amendment, for example.

GOP field

Howze (pronounced hows) is the strongest Republican candidate in this field. His third-place finish in the primary two years ago, behind Denham and Harder, surprised many, and he has not stopped running since. He is a vigorous and knowledgeable debater and has collected an array of important endorsements, including the mayors of 10 cities in the 10th district, which covers Stanislaus County and the southern part of San Joaquin County.

Howze recently moved from Stockton, where he lived for a few years, back to Turlock, where his veterinary practice is located and where he previously served on the City Council. That removes any carpet-bagging suggestion that may have hurt his chances in the 2018 race.

Republican Marla Sousa Livengood is burdened with that problem now. She failed in 2018 to unseat Rep. Jerry McNerney in the Ninth Congressional District where she lives, centered in San Joaquin County, so she’s trying her luck in another district — ours. One would think that a candidate so aligned with President Trump would trumpet the strong economy he takes credit for, but for some reason, Livengood chose to portray herself as frustrated and angry in The Bee debate, pointing repeatedly to “struggling families.”

Republican Bob Elliott — an eight-year San Joaquin County supervisor, and Tracy councilman before that, and U.S. Army Green Beret colonel before that — lives in the 10th district and has much more impressive public service credentials than Livengood, who has never won an election. Elliott’s politics seem closer to center than either Livengood or Howze, so it’s possible he will appeal to some voters in the 10th, which is a fairly mixed district: nearly 38% Democratic voters, 33% Republican and 23% undeclared.

Livengood and Elliott, however, can’t match Howze’s firepower in Stanislaus County, which is home to nearly 73% of the district’s voters. Unless he commits significant missteps, Howze is most likely to move on from the March 3 ballot; it’s a top-two primary, meaning the top two finishers — regardless of party — advance to the runoff in the November election.

Howze is not immune from such missteps.

His camp got it right when, in July, his people claimed credit for helping a veteran get medical treatment. For unknown reasons, Howze suddenly got it very wrong at The Bee’s Jan. 22 debate at the State Theatre, claiming the aging veteran first sought help from Harder and turned to Howze when Harder failed him. Howze then claimed that Harder’s office had ignored “so many” others as well.

A resulting exchange — Harder called the not-helping-veterans charge “a blatant lie,” and Howze said, “I take exception to being called a liar” — figured prominently in Bee coverage of the event.

A Bee reporter followed up with the veteran’s family, who confirmed that Howze’s latest version amounts to fake news.

Answering to the people

It’s not uncommon for congressional incumbents to skip debates and media interviews before a primary election. Denham, for example, avoided both two years ago, emerging only after the primary that year. Strategic reasoning suggests that pre-primary exposure does little to boost an incumbent’s already substantial profile, and might bring disaster.

Harder does not embrace that strategy. Since his election, he has been accessible and accountable, and he did not shrink from The Bee’s invitation to debate in the only such event featuring all six candidates.

In his short time in office, Harder has shown an unusual ability to connect with Republican colleagues, and to succeed with them.

It’s no accident that State Assemblyman Heath Flora, a Ripon Republican, allowed Harder’s office to distribute a press release Tuesday recounting how Flora and Harder worked together to help a Manteca veteran sort out health insurance trouble with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. The effort erased medical bills of $573,000 that the VA had mistakenly denied after the man suffered two heart attacks.

Flora even provided a quote in the release underlining how his office and Harder’s had cooperated. It turns out that Harder’s office has helped 400 veterans cut through red tape at several federal agencies in the past year.

Those are results. That’s what people want and expect from their congressman.

And that’s why The Bee endorses Josh Harder.

This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM.