Gloria Negrete Mc Leod - 2012 Congressional Election

2012 Congressional Election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012

In June 2011, after Negrete McLeod found out that the Citizens Redistricting Commission had drawn a new congressional district that was virtually coextensive with her state senate district, she announced she was running for it, saying, "I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in. There's nobody there." She was referring to the fact that there weren't any incumbent congressmen living in the district. After the district was officially numbered as the 35th district, McLeod officially announced her candidacy on September 6, 2011. She faced Congressman Joe Baca in the primary. Baca's home is in the 31st District, but his old 43rd District took up almost 60% of the new 35th. In the open primary, Baca ranked first with 45% of the vote, McLeod ranked second with 36% of the vote, and Green party candidate Anthony Vieyra ranked last with 19% of the vote.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Independence USA PAC spent more than $5 million supporting McLeod's candidacy. In the November general election, McLeod defeated Baca 56%-44%.