Senate challenger raring to go

Elizabeth Emken told local voters on Thursday it’s time for change in the U.S. Senate.

Emken, a Republican who lives in Danville, was making a campaign swing through the Valley and stopped at the Tulare County Republican Office in Porterville on the corner of Main Street and Putnam Avenue. About 20-30 people attended the rally for Emken.

Emken is running for the seat currently held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Most of her comments Thursday centered around unseating the multiple-term Feinstein.

“Thank you all for coming out. I appreciate you being here today to support my candidacy. Dianne Feinstein has been around since 1492. I’m determined to put fresh energy, a new perspective in the United States Senate. I’m going to unseat Feinstein,” said Emken to thunderous applause.

Emken has degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has also worked at IBM in cost and finance management and currently works at a nonprofit.

Some of her key issues include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and federal tax reform.

“My number-one priority is to repeal ObamaCare. So much of what ails us can be fixed by reforming the tax code,” stated Emken.

“A misnomer that while she’s popular she be automatically re-elected. The numbers show that if her popularity was ever there it has waned,” added Emken who talked about how Feinstein has refused to debate or to attend town-hall-style meetings.

Emken described her campaign in five words.

“This is a grassroots insurgency,” explained Emken who added that she has 10,000 donors.

Another of her issues involves business and job growth. She believes that bringing jobs to California involves bringing businesses back.

“You’re not going to bring jobs back to California unless you bring businesses back to California. Dianne Feinstein’s policies have led to businesses fleeing our state whether it’s overseas or to neighboring states. There are many elements to this. Our energy policy in California is absurd. You cannot even do light manufacturing here the cost of energy is so expensive. Our tax structure is ridiculous, it’s one of the highest in the country, why would anyone do business here? The regulatory requirement. Everyone will tell you it takes four times as long to open a business in California as it does in someplace like Florida. If you don’t have business you will not have jobs, it’s that simple,” stated Emken, who posed with constituents for pictures after her speech.  

Cherry Moore, the Treasurer of SETCO, was very satisfied with Emken’s visit.

“I think it went great. She covered a lot of the issues we’re concerned about,” said Moore.

Fellow attendee Kay Connley came from Visalia.

“This is the first time I’ve seen her. I was impressed. I hope she carries this enthusiasm through the rest of the state,” stated Connley.