Rep. Jane Harman to Resign: 6 Political Implications

Congress is about to lose a longtime representative: Jane Harman, a Democrat from California.

Harman, who represented an L.A.-area district from 1993 to 1999 and 2001 to the present, is apparently planning to announce her resignation on Tuesday. According to reports, she will become the president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

1. Special election to test new electoral system
A special election will have to be held to fill her seat. Says The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, "The election will be the first major test of the state's new 'jungle primary' law where all candidates -- regardless of party -- will run against one another. ... The two top vote-getters advance to a special general election."

2. Not necessarily bad news for liberals
Beyond offering a test of the new system, Harman's departure "create[s] an opportunity for the left," according to Slate's David Weigel.

3. Front-runner?
Harman's 2010 primary opponent, Marcy Winograd, may decide to make another run for Congress now. Winograd and Harman may both be Democrats, but they have vastly different views on foreign policy. The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg writes that if the lefty Winograd won the seat, it would not be "a good thing if you support President Obama's foreign policy and also think that Israel isn't the most evil country in the world."

4. Other candidates
L.A. Weekly's Gene Maddaus suggests two other potential Harman successors: Janice Hahn, an L.A. councilwoman who ran for the congressional seat in 1998, when Harman was a California gubernatorial contender, and Ted Lieu, a former assemblyman who is currently running for a state Senate seat.

5. Bad news for Blue Dog coalition
Harman's decision doesn't just open the door for a more progressive candidate; it also marks another challenge for her fellow Blue Dog Democrats, as the National Journal's Hotline on Call points out. "[H]er pending departure will thin their ranks further after a punishing 2010 midterm election for the caucus. The caucus had 54 members in last year's Congress, but that number will be down to 25 after Harman's resignation."

6. Some cause for GOP hope
And while the left may seize on the special election, the GOP is looking beyond to 2012. A redistricting plan plus the loss of a centrist could put Harman's district in play for the Republicans. The Hill notes that they are "cautiously optimistic" at the moment.

Follow Surge Desk on Twitter.