Why is Cousin Nanette Running for CD-44?

Cousin Nanette

Nanette Barragan is running for Congress in 2016.

She lives in Hermosa Beach.

But she is not running for Congress in CD-33, which includes her current hometown.

Here is the map of the district she lives in, with Hermosa Beach right in the heart of the South Bay section:

Granted, the United States Constitution does not require a House Rep to live in the district which they represent. In 2011, Craig Huey ran for Congress to replace Jane Harman, when the former 36th Congressional district covered all of Torrance, parts of San Pedro, all the way to Venice, but not Palos Verdes, Huey's current home.

Rep. Jane Harman (Ret.) District 36

He was permitted to run.

In 2014, Marianne Williamson also ran for the current 33rd Congressional District, even though she lived in West Hollywood.

So, Nanette Barragan is entitled to run for Congress in a district where she does not live.

Still, why is Cousin Nanette running for the 44th Congressional District, which lies far outside her current home and constituency? She is a Hermosa Beach city councilmember, after all.

Moreover, she said that she wanted to help her community, right?

“Being in Congress would mean that I would get to make sure that the people and the families of my community have a voice in Washington,” said Barragan.

First of all, "people and families" are pretty much the same thing, right? Families are made of people. Why did she feel compelled to repeat herself?

Another question: how can she serve a community in Washington DC, three thousand miles away? She already has a public service job, on the Hermosa Beach City Council. Is she serving her city there?

Yet another question: Which community does she want to serve?

If she wants to help the families of Hermosa Beach, shouldn't she run for Congress in the 33rd?

State Senator Ted Lieu just won the seat in 2014, and Barragan would face an uphill fight for that seat. Still, Lieu is  freshman, and the California Top Two Open primary could give her an opportunity to raise funds and local support to unseat Lieu.

Barragan is not interested in representing any community, except her circle of supporters, and herself.

If she wanted to help her community, she could run against David Hadley for state assembly in the 66th, She would have a better chance of winning, since Hadley is the number one target for the Democrats to regain the supermajority they lost last year, and the district is still a swing seat.

So what if former assemblymember Al Muratsuchi is running to regain his seat? Competition hasn't stopped her from challenging Uncle Izzy for the 44th.

Once again, Cousin Nanette is not interesting in serving her community, if that community is Hermosa Beach.

Maybe she's talking about Carson, since she was raised there:

The daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up near Carson, became an attorney, moved to Hermosa Beach, was elected to City Council and became a stalwart opponent of oil drilling, is running for U.S. Congress in 2016.

OK, so she grew up in Carson. Is this her community of interest, then? But she ran for Hermosa Beach City Council. If she cared about Carson, or rather "near  Carson" so much, why not run for City Council there?

So, let's just look at the bare facts. Cousin Nanette is not interesting in serving her community, or any community. She is interested in an easy rise in political office, nothing more.

That alone should cast doubts on her chances of getting elected to Congress, and should even put her city reelection prospects in question.