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16 Candidates Face Off For California House Seat

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sixteen candidates are competing for a vacant U.S. House seat in a coastal California congressional district.

The special election Tuesday is also a test of the state's new system for electing lawmakers -- voters, regardless of their registration, can pick candidates from any party.

Since no candidate is expected to clear the required 50-percent threshold to win outright, the question is who will advance to an expected July 12 runoff between the top two finishers.

The 36th Congressional District has a large Democratic registration edge, so the seat once held by Rep. Jane Harman is expected to remain safely in Democratic hands.

The leading Democratic candidates are Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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