McClintock handily retakes seat

Congressman Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, celebrated his big victory over opponent Jack Uppal, D-Lincoln, Tuesday night at the Serrano Country Club with the Tea Party Patriots of El Dorado Hills and guests.

Early returns gave McClintock a big lead and the congressman said he wasn’t worried about his race. “I’m doing all right,” he said, though he confessed to “feeling nervous about the national returns.” About 30 minutes later an audible sigh of disappointment was heard from conservatives at the country club as media outlets reported that President Barack Obama had won reelection.

McClintock, first elected in 2008, represents the 4th Congressional District which includes all or parts of Modoc, Plumas, Placer, Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Butte and El Dorado counties. It has been a Republican stronghold for years, previously represented by John Doolittle. McClintock’s reelection campaign focused on restoring America’s prosperity by limiting government spending, reworking the country’s business regulations, exploring America’s energy potential, lowering tax rates, letting the free market (not the government) decide which businesses thrive or fail, repealing Obamacare and stopping frivolous lawsuits.

McClintock was gracious at Tuesday’s event, thanking his supporters and chatting with constituents. The California Secretary of State’s semi-official elections results, with 100 percent of precinct all or partially reporting, give McClintock 61.1 percent of the district-wide vote (155,165 votes) compared to Uppal’s 38.9 percent (98,680 votes).

Uppal and his supporters gathered in Lincoln on Election Night. The morning after Uppal issued a statement stating he was proud of his campaign and appreciative of his supporters.

“To those who think you’re the only Democrats around — be cheerful! We received nearly 100,000 votes in this election,” the release states. “That’s more than a lot of winning candidates got in other congressional districts, even more than some got in Bay Area districts. It gives me great hope that we Democrats can make serious gains around this district.”

Uppal said he plans to “unwind and relax” before making any decisions about his political future.