State Senator Jeff Denham to Run
for Congress in 19th District

FRESNO, CA -- Republican State Senator Jeff Denham announced today that he will be a candidate for Congress in the 19th district, currently held by Rep. George Radanovich, who is not seeking re-election in order to spend more time with his family. Denham currently shares over 100,000 constituents with Congressman Radanovich.

"I was both surprised and honored when George Radanovich called to tell me of his decision and ask me to consider running to succeed him in Congress," said Denham. "George has served the people of the Central Valley with great dedication and accomplishment for 15 years. He first ran for Congress for all the right reasons, and he is leaving for the right reason – to spend more time with his family."

Senator Denham currently has almost $1 million cash-on-hand in his state committees. With a lifetime "A" rating from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Senator Denham is widely recognized as a strong fiscal conservative and taxpayer champion. In 2007, liberal special interest groups attempted to recall Denham when he refused to vote for a bloated state budget plan. Voters rejected the recall by a margin of 76% to 24%. Denham is also a leader on agricultural and water issues. His company, Denham Plastics, is a cutting edge supplier in the field of agricultural packaging and containers and his family grows almonds in the Central Valley.

"Almost every job in the Central Valley is directly related to the agricultural industry and agriculture cannot survive without water," said Denham. "Our government should do everything it can to increase storage and keep water flowing, not shut it off through extreme environmental regulations and judicial rulings that place more value on fish than on people."

"Jeff Denham has the proven conservative credentials we Republicans in Washington need to help us fight for lower taxes and balanced budgets," said U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Orange County).

Denham is a 16 year veteran of the United States Air Force and recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal for his service in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope. He and his wife Sonia have been married for sixteen years and have two children, Austin, 13 and Samantha, 11.