Former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly is taking another try at winning the 8th Congressional District seat. This time, the seat is open. In September, Representative Paul Cook said he will not run for re-election and will seek a seat on the County Board of Supervisors in 2020. Donnelly, a Republican who lost to Cook in 2016 and 2018, sees that as an opportunity. Donnelly, of Twin Peaks, served in the state Assembly from 2010 until 2014, Then he ran for governor rather than seek a third term. In his 2018 race, which was the only in the state to feature two Republicans, Donnelly positioned himself as the more conservative choice, but only won 40 percent of the vote. The Republican-leaning 8th District includes our Morongo Basin. Donnelly joins other candidates who have already announced their campaigns: Democrat Chris Bubser, an engineer and former biotech executive; Peter Mathisen, owner of Law’s Oak Glen Coffee Shop, who has no party affiliation; Republican Assemblyman Jay Obernolte of Big Bear Lake; and Republican Jeremy Staat, an Iraq war veteran and former NFL player.
