Politics & Government

Janice Hahn Sworn In to Congress

The Democrat is officially sworn in as the representative of California's 36th Congressional District.

One week after winning a runoff election, former Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, a Democrat, was sworn in Tuesday morning as the representative of the 36th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

House Speaker John Boehner administered the oath at about 11:20 a.m. Pacific time in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol.

"It is wonderful to be here today representing the 36th Congressional District in California," Hahn told the representatives after her swearing-in, which was broadcast live on C-SPAN. She added that she was "honored and thankful" for the opportunity to serve.

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In her brief speech, Hahn recognized the influence of both her mother, who died the day before the election, and her father on her political career. She said she got her "political courage" from her father, who was the only Los Angeles city councilman to greet Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a visit to the city.

"Our dad taught us that serving others is more than a job—it's a calling," she said. "It requires honesty, hard work and, most of all, courage to do the right thing."

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During his introduction of Hahn, Rep. Pete Stark, a Democrat representing California's 13th District, listed the new representative's accomplishments, including her fight for strong diesel truck emissions standards at the Port of Los Angeles.

"As a United States Congressman, Janice will surely add more victories to her already-long list of accomplishments," he said.

With 54.46 percent of the vote, Hahn defeated Republican businessman Craig Huey in last Tuesday's runoff. In the primary, she defeated fellow Democrats Debra Bowen and Marcy Winograd, as well as Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, a Republican.

Hahn emphasized a platform of "green jobs" during her campaign. "I am going to work hard every day to create more good jobs, get our economy back on track, bring our troops home from wars abroad and fight to protect Medicare and Social Security," Hahn wrote in an e-mail to her supporters before the swearing-in.

The special election was held after then-Rep. Jane Harman resigned her seat at the end of February to head the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"Jane will be missed, but we welcome Janice to Congress where she will undoubtedly serve as a powerful champion for her constituents," Stark said.


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