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'Longshot' Candidate To Replace Rep. Henry Waxman Gains Attention With LA Times Endorsement

PACIFIC PALISADES (CBSLA.com) — A 33rd Congressional District candidate who some considered a longshot to replace Rep. Henry Waxman has gained attention after a surprise endorsement from the Los Angeles Times.

Matt Miller, the host of KCRW's "Left, Right and Center," said while the endorsement was great, it's the radio show and the voice that voters seem to know.

"It is fun as I campaign around the district that most people know my voice, my name, love 'Left, Right and Center'…and had no idea what I looked like. The fact that that gives me an opening to really make a case to voters," he said.

KCAL9's Dave Bryan reports that it will take more than a familiar voice to win a seat in the second-richest district in the country, which runs along the coast from Rancho Palos Verdes to Malibu and spreads east to include Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

The New York Times recently referred to the area as the "Botox Belt."

Miller said the district has its problems.

"We are a wealthier district than most, there are some people who are doing well, but some folks are still struggling in an economy that hasn't fully recovered," he said.

Raphael Sonenshein, the executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State Los Angeles, said the Times endorsement could be helpful.

"I think this endorsement is the first opportunity Matt Miller has had to really break into this race. While it's a bit surprising, it's not a total shock. Matt Miller is sort of a safe, unconventional choice," he said.

Miller's supporters claim that his secret weapon is he's a radical centrist.

"It means I'm a problem solver. I'm not tied to a particular ideology," he said.

The voters go to the polls for the primary on June 3.

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