Mary Bono Mack Defeats Steve Pougnet For Congressional Seat
Rep. Mary Bono Mack defeated Democratic challenger Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet and will return for a seventh term in Congress, where Republicans will have the majority.
“It is an honor to once again earn the confidence and support of such an overwhelming number of voters in California’s 45th Congressional District,” Bono Mack said. “It is clear that the American people have rejected the tax and spend policies of the Obama Administration and the liberal leadership in Congress and are looking to the Republican Party for real change.
Mary Bono MackSteve PougnetBill Lussenheide
“I will fight tirelessly in Congress to rebuild our nation’s economy and revive the American dream for future generations,” she said.
Pougnet’s campaign planned to make a statement by about noon, but he remained upbeat late Tuesday night despite falling short.
“Countless hours have gone into getting us where we are tonight. We’ve worked our tail off,” Pougnet told supporters at the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs.
Bono Mack was elected in 1998 to fill the 45th Congressional District seat held by her late husband, Sonny Bono.
Pougnet, who has been the mayor of Palm Springs since 2007, has wanted to bring change to the 45th Congressional District. He criticized Bono Mack for the district’s high foreclosure and unemployment rates.
“Things are headed in the wrong direction. First, people need jobs,” Pougnet said during a televised debate in August.
During his campaign, Pougnet touted bringing nearly 1,000 jobs to Palm Springs through the city’s Hotel Incentive Program, which led to the redevelopment of several hotels.
Jobs are also important to Bono Mack, who said on her campaign website that she wanted to lower taxes and shrink the size of government.
She has said she will fight to get the government off the backs of small business owners.
“I believe more government and more spending only leads to higher taxes and fewer jobs,” Bono Mack said during a televised debate in August.
American Independent candidate Bill Lussenheide campaigned for elimination of the Federal Reserve System. He also called for the repeal of U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion.
The 45th District includes Palm Springs, Coachella, Hemet, Idyllwild, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Thermal, portions of Temecula and several unincorporated areas of Riverside County.
