John Benoit

Assemblyman John Benoit of the 64th District sometimes has a disadvantage compared to former 65th District assemblyman Russ Bogh in their prickly GOP primary fight for the Inland Empire's open 37th State Senate district seat.

The on-the-ground primary action naturally is in Riverside County but Benoit must spend time each week up in Sacramento. His opponent Bogh is an ex-assemblyman working at his family's construction company, allowing Bogh to traverse the large district more than Benoit and that's helpful since the 37th is a Riverside County-only area stretching from the Arizona border to Corona/Norco, Palm Springs and Hemet.

I'm puzzled this month, recently an all-too-common state of being for me, about how what appears to be an organized effort in California to corner the anti-illegal immigration argument again has flown pretty much under the news radar.

Citing constituent frustration over federal inaction on immigration, 23 pieces of legislation are being "sponsored" by Republican members of the state assembly. These proposals could set new standards in challenging federal authority over foreign visitors to our country. Maybe they're just new campaign platforms since the deadline for submitting many of these bills has passed and it's widely agreed that they're all pretty much DOA for other reasons.

NORCO - Talk to Russ Bogh about his opponent John Benoit in the 37th State Senate district’s Republican primary and the talk gets harsh, quickly;

“Unfortunately my opponent…”  read more »

There is a spririted GOP primary in the 37th district, where State Sen. Jim Battin is term-limited
The State Senate 37th District covers Riverside County outside the city of Riverside and it is an elongated stretch of outer suburbs, desert, the Palm Springs resort cities and higher altitude geography such as Lake Elsinore. It is solidly Republican and has spawned an interesting upcoming GOP primary fight between onetime neighboring assemblymen.

Construction company executive Russ Bogh was Riverside’s District 65 assemblyman from 2001-2006 and now is competing with ex-California Highway Patrol commander and incumbent District 65 Assemblyman John Benoit for the seat being vacated by termed-out State Sen. Jim Battin.

It’s an ex-assemblyman/suburban businessman against an incumbent assemblyman/small town ex-state trooper in a county where suburbs and deserts can blur together. Bogh must reach into the district’s more socially liberal Coachella Valley while Benoit must reach north to its more socially conservative neighborhoods, with one of them needing to win Corona, a district focal point.

“Neither is known in Corona,” said Benoit campaign manager Barry Nestande.