Who is Dr. Tiffanie Tate?

And why is she running for congress in an already crowded field for the 40th?

I learned the other day, by accident, that someone named Dr. Tiffanie Tate has entered the race for the CA-40 congressional seat.

The sound you hear is bewildered crickets.

I have never heard of Dr. Tiffanie Tate. You have (I’m guessing) never heard of Dr. Tiffanie Tate. She was originally running (fairly anonymously) in the 41st, but when Prop-50 turned that whole plan into pumpkin stew, she shifted over to the 40th, where she has literally no name recognition. By no name recognition, I mean current Truth OC polling places her 17th, behind the Alf puppet, my late Uncle Marty, former Knicks guard Sedric Toney, the guy who played “Clothing Sales Clerk” in the film “Bowfinger,” Horace Grant’s niece, the Pillsbury Doughboy, my mom’s friend Ellen, Marvin Gaye’s fourth solo album and eight pieces of random chewing gum. Here is a statement on her website, explaining her run …

Um.

I don’t get it. I mean, I get wanting to serve in congress, and I get being proud of your military service. Hell, she should be. But entering the race this late, with so much money already having been raised, with candidates coming and going, with Esther Kim Varet and Lisa Ramirez and Joe Kerr trouncing Tate in name recognition and fundraising … why? Just, why? Why now? Why this? Why you?

Why does it have to be you?

And, if I’m being honest, I’m guessing Tate’s rationale matches that of so many past candidates who ran for office lacking logic, infrastructure or organization: An all-too-familiar “I’m the only one who can accomplish [fill in the blank]?” delusion. A self-belief that trumps reality.

Which would have been fine and dandy—a year ago. But we we enter 2026, we need to decide which Democrat (Esther or Lisa) has the better chance of pulling off an upset in an extremely tough district, and we need to 100 percent get behind that person. Strongly. Loudly. Proudly. Emphatically. We need to narrow shit down and pick the most logical path forward. We need to take the $55,000 Tate has raised and place those funds (and future funds) behind a realistic option.

I don’t doubt Dr. Tiffanie Tate’s intentions. I certainly don’t doubt her history.

I just doubt the sense and sensibility of it all.

PS …