Tea Party Congressional Candidate Wins Decisive Victory in 23rd CA District

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a Primary election upset in one of the most gerrymandered districts in the country - so much so that it is called "The Ribbon of Shame" - Tea Party endorsed candidate Tom Watson won a decisive victory in a field of five, including an early pick by the Republican Establishment.  

A newcomer to politics, Watson is a retired Naval officer and high tech entrepreneur who has lived in Summerland, California  for 10 years. Along with three other local candidates he won the endorsement of Santa Barbara Tea Party after a stringent vetting process by the organization's board.

"We were pleased to select Tom Watson as our preferred Congressional candidate," reported Dr. Rolland Jacks, SBTP Communications Director. "He had shown his dedication to the Tea Party movement by participating in our activities and events as well as wholeheartedly expressing his appreciation for our group's goals."

On June 8, 2010, Watson won handily with 35.9% of the vote. The 49 year old Naval Academy Graduate and former US Navy F-14 flyer will now go on to defeat the incumbent, 72 year old Congresswoman Lois Capps, who has held the seat for six terms, following her victory in a special election in 1998 after her husband died while in office.

"I firmly believe in the Tea Party's principles of limited government, lower taxes and upholding the Constitution," said Watson. "SBTP has stood faithfully by me, and for that I am grateful. Their values are the values that have made America great."

Santa Barbara Tea Party is a nonpartisan grassroots group of citizens dedicated to defending the principles set forth by America's Founding Fathers. We are inspired by American heroes, from George Washington to Dolly Madison, who have fought for and represent the American Dream.

We are the core group that created and delivered Santa Barbara's April 4, 2009 Tea Party with Lloyd Marcus and Tammy Bruce that garnered international media attention and spawned other Tea Parties along the California coast. Our Tea Party provides a public platform for education and advocacy toward our specific goals of limited government, lower taxes, and preservation of economic opportunity and the Bill of Rights.

SOURCE Santa Barbara Tea Party