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An internationally known stem cell scientist and entrepreneur will join the ranks of candidates trying to unseat Republican incumbents in contested House races next year when he announces Thursday his challenge of 18-term Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

Hans Keirstead, a 50-year-old Democrat from Laguna Beach, said Wednesday that he will run in the 48th Congressional District, one of more than half a dozen in California that have been targeted by Democrats seeking to harness sentiment against President Trump in their fight for a House majority.

Keirsteads candidacy has been sought by some national Democratic figures, who see his science and business background as a good fit for the district. It runs along the Orange County coastline from Laguna Beach to Seal Beach, and includes some nearby inland cities.

Republicans represent a plurality of the district with more than 40% of its registration, to about 30% for Democrats. A quarter of voters are registered as nonpartisan. The Huntington Beach-based Rohrabacher, who is 69, has served in the House since 1988.

Part of the reason for the Democratic drought in the 48th and other districts now seen as competitive has been the partys candidates; Rohrabacher last faced a serious challenge in 2008, when he won by 10 percentage points. In November, he won by more than 16 points. Hillary Clinton won the district by almost 2 points en route to becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Orange County since 1936.

Several other candidates already have announced their intention to run against the veteran House member.

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Nationally and in California, Democrats say they have been swamped by candidates interested in running for office to oppose Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Keirstead said that is one of his motivations.

Ive come to realize more acutely than ever before the deficits in Congress and how my profile can actually benefit Congress, he said. Id like to do what Im doing but on a larger stage and I think Congress provides that, provides a forum for doing the greater good.

Keirstead was a pioneer in stem cell research, first in his native Canada and, since 2000, in Southern California. He helped lead UC Irvines stem cell research program and, in his only political endeavor, served as an advisor to a successful 2004 state measure, Proposition 71, that sought to steer $3 billion into medical research.

He also has started and sold several medical research companies that have invented therapies for ovarian, skin and brain cancer, as well as spinal cord injuries, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

Keirstead has made millions of dollars off of his business endeavors but said he will not use his own money for his campaign.

Although his background gives him a network of allies to help raise money, Keirstead is likely to face criticism for leaping into politics mid-ladder, without the relationship-building that usually precedes a first run.

He became a citizen in 2008, he said. County voting records show he cast ballots in general elections that year and in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The records indicate that he did not cast any ballots in the 2014 midterm elections, and he has not voted in primary elections.

Asked about the missing votes, Keirstead said he had other commitments and responsibilities but stressed that the result of last falls elections show how important it is to participate in our democracy.

Campaign finance records show he has not donated to federal or state candidates.

In an interview, Keirstead suggested he is still studying policy positions. He said that he would prefer to improve the Obamacare insurance program rather than adopt a universal healthcare plan favored by some liberal Democrats.

I think Obamacare put in place a very large system that is fantastic in some measures and very flawed in others, he said. Theres a lot we can do with the existing system rather than cripple it first as the Trump administration is doing in order to justify a replacement.

On trade, another issue that has divided Democrats, he declined to take a position on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump and some Democrats favor dumping. He also would not say whether he favored Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders last year.

I just dont really like the labels, he said. Im trying to run as authentic Hans. I am personally tired of partisan politics where the labels are driving the decision making. I think we should be more results driven.

But he was happy to criticize Rohrabacher for his advocacy of friendlier relations with Russia and for voting for the House Republican healthcare plan. And he also defended, with a laugh, his unorthodox path to politics.

I can tell you without a doubt my cancer treatment, my spinal cord injury treatment, would never have been invented had I followed a step-by-step straight path in academia and business, for sure, he said. Doing things differently has been responsible for my success. And its actually encouraged me to take on bigger initiatives like running for Congress.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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Stem cell scientist to become the latest Democrat trying to topple Dana Rohrabacher in OC House race - Los Angeles Times

Four days ago, at the left-wing Peoples Summit in Chicago, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ended a speech to 4,000-odd activists with a 15-minute Q&A. The final question dealt with the political anger that Democrats, according to Sanders, had failed to grapple with in 2016. The lefts response to that anger was obvious: It had to be channeled into constructive change.

All over this country, there are people who are furious, Sanders said. Those people are angry, and what Trump has done is take that anger and say: The reason you are hurting is because some Mexican guy is picking strawberries for $8 an hour. Thats your problem. Theres a Muslim over there thats your problem. Our job is to bring people together and say: If you are angry because your standard of living is going down, because youre working longer hours for lower wages, youre worried about your kids, you should be angry. But take your anger out on the right people.

The crowd roared its approval. Our jobis to talk to people about the role Wall Street plays, the role the fossil-fuel industry plays, the role that the Koch brothers play, Sanders said. Our job is to take that anger and transform it into a constructive role, to take on the ruling class of this country that has done us so much harm.

Sitting in the audience, I tweeted the line that had started the most applause.

Wednesday, after news spread that the man suspected of shooting at members of Congress and security details at the House Republicans baseball practice had supported Sanders for president, I noticed the tweet circulating more widely than it had Saturday. Several Twitter users cited the quote without the source and sent links from conservative writers who are adept at amplifying news and quotes from social media. Earlier in the day, by chance, Ben Shapiro quoted the tweet in National Review as an example of the leftembracing a national pathology of anger.

But Sanders, who condemned Wednesdays attack on the Senate floor, had been clear. There was never any suggestion that political anger needed to be channeled into violence. A 2011 statement from Sanders on the shooting of Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffordsthat made the rounds Wednesday and was held up as proof of hypocrisy was largely a rundown of incidents in whichDemocrats felt threatened and a call on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to denounce the increasingly violent rhetoric coming from the right-wing and exert his influence to create a civil political environment.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he was "sickened" after learning that James T. Hodgkinson, accused of shooting Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and others on June 14, volunteered for his 2016 presidential campaign. (U.S. House of Representatives)

The search for an example of Sanders calling for actual violence was fruitless part of a snipe hunt that sometimes citedthe rush in 2011 to link the Giffords shooting, carried out by a man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, to right-wing politics. James Hodgkinson, the shooter Wednesday in Virginia, had left a long trail of left-wing political opinions, from an appearance at a 2011 Occupy rally to memberships in anti-Trump Facebook groups. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump Jr. were among the Republicans linking offensive portrayals of Trump, including comedian Kathy Griffins pose with a severed Trump head, to the shooting.

The intensity is very real, Gingrich said on Fox News, whether its a so-called comedian holding up the presidents head covered in blood or right here in New York City, a play that shows the president being assassinated, or its Democratic leading national politicians using vulgarity because they cant find any common language to talk.

Also on Wednesday, some in conservative media gilded the lily. A headline at the Drudge Report read Gunman: Kill as many Republicans as possible. That was a quote from Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) describing what he thought the gunmans motivation had been, not a quote from the gunman. The editor of the conservative Vessel News shared a video by former attorney general Loretta E. Lynch and asked whether the shooter had heeded her call for blood on the streets. In reality, Lynch was referring to civil rights protesters who bled and died.

Politicians in Washington responded to the attack on the Republican baseball team on June 14 with messages of grief, gratitude and unity. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Jack Posobiec, aright-wing activist and author who has asked (but not gotten answers to) questions at White House news briefings, tweeted a January story about Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) encouraging liberals to fight the Trump administration in the streets; even without context, it was a clear reference to protests.

Posobiec also drew attention to @OfficialAntifa, a hoax account that claimed anti-fascists were celebrating the shooting. That was on brand; in January, BuzzFeeds Joe Bernstein cited leaked text messages to show that Posobiec had worked to discredit Trump protesters byblending in and using violent slogans.

Other conservatives condemned the rush to blame the left for the shooting. Neither Bernie Sanders, nor any person or faction associated with him that I can tell, supports violence as of means of pursuing political objectives, David Harsanyiwrote in the Federalist. Sanders has zero responsibility for Hodgkinsons actions.

But as the day went on, the more popular sentiments on the right were focused on whetherthe broader left deserved blame for the shootings. The Democrat base voter who shot up the Republican Congress today in Virginia, he was a mainstream Democrat voter, said Rush Limbaugh on the Wednesday episode of his show. He was not a Looney Tune kook burger.

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Conservative voices blame Alexandria shooting on Democrats and the left - Washington Post

Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said Thursday that there was "broad bipartisan support" to expand apprenticeship programs, a policy that the White House has been pushing throughout the week.

"There is broad bipartisan support ... The challenge is that you need some sort of accountability," the Virginia Democrat said. He said he had several concerns over the potential direction of the policy and said the current standards for accountability in the government's existing apprenticeship programs should be maintained.

"What our input [to the administration] has been is to not re-invent the wheel," Scott said.

Scott was reacting to reports that Trump intends to limit or remove oversight of the funding as part of his reforms.

The lawmaker appeared with other lawmakers at the signing of an executive order Thursday by President Trump on expanding apprenticeships. "We are empowering these companies, these unions, industry groups, federal agencies to go out and create new apprenticeships for millions of our citizens. Apprenticeships place students into great jobs without the crippling debt of traditional four-year college degrees," the president said.

At the ceremony, Trump thanked Scott and Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., for "car[ing] so deeply about this effort." Scott's office emphasized that he had not been involved in drafting the order and had not seen a draft prior to the ceremony. The order had not been posted on the White House's website Thursday afternoon.

Asked if he supported the executive order, Scott demurred, saying there still "uncertainties" regarding the president's policy. "We would expect some minimum standards and accountability to the government if it is federal money."

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'Broad bipartisan support' on apprenticeships, Democrat Scott says - Washington Examiner

The poll, conducted by the Republican Trafalgar Group, was completed on Tuesday eveningbefore Wednesday mornings shooting of Rep. Steven Scalise (R-LA), staffers, a lobbyist, and two Capitol Hill Police at a Republican Congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia.

It is unclear what impact that shooting will have on the outcome of the election, which will be held next Tuesday.

The race has become the most expensive in American political history. Ossoff has raised over $23 million, while Handel has raised about $4.5 million, according to Federal Election filings covering the period ending on May 31. In addition, a number of SuperPACs and other organizations have spent money on behalf or against both candidates.

One poll released on Tuesdayshowed the race tied, butthe Real Clear Politics Average of Polls, which includes Wednesdays Trafalgar Group poll, gives Ossoff a slight 3.2 percent edge.

News of the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), several staffers, and two members of the Capitol Police at a practice of the Republican Congressional baseball team at a field in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday morning shocked both campaigns.

Handels campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Hodgkinsons Facebook post. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Handel tweeted that she and her husband were sending our thoughts & prayers to Rep. Scalise, Capitol Police, staff, & everyone affected by this horrific attack, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported:

Handel has canceled her public events for tonight.

Her Democratic opponent, Jon Ossoff, described the Facebook post as sickening.

I condemn this appalling act of violence committed, obviously, by a disturbed individual, Ossoff said. The country is united right now in our prayers for those who are fighting for their lives and our appreciation of those who saved lives.

Numerous reports indicated that the alleged shooter, James Thomas Hodgkinson, was a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and posted a number of statements on social media indicating a hatred for President Trump.

Hodgkinson local newspaper, the Belleville News-Democrat, reported that he frequently wrote letters to the paper protesting against Republicans and tax policies and supporting the legalization of marijuana, the Journal Constitution reported:

Trumps election as president was disturbing to Hodgkinson, who had also traveled recently to Washington to participate in protests, his brother told the New York Times.

I know he wasnt happy with the way things were going, the election results and stuff, Michael Hodgkinson said

Hodgkinson also apparently worked as a volunteer with Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign and filed a number posts on Facebook opposing Trump, according to the Journal Constitution.

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Poll: Democrat Ossoff up by Three in Georgia Special Election, Impact of Shooting on Race a Wild Card - Breitbart News

In a news conference in which they repeatedly discussed their concern about vitriolic partisan division, the managers of the Democratic and Republican teams for the Congressional Baseball Game declared that the game will go on.

Members of Congress will play each other in the decades-old game at Nationals Park on Thursday evening as scheduled. Attendees at the game will be asked to contribute to a charity supporting the families of police officers killed in the line of duty, in recognition of Wednesdays shooting which left two officers wounded, in addition to the three planned charities which support D.C. children.

Were not going to let incidents like this change our way of life or our daily routine. Were going to go ahead and play the ballgame, Democratic manager Rep. Michael Doyle (Pa.) said.

Those not attending the game can also donate online and may be able to watch the game on C-SPAN. In recent years, the game has raised more than a half-million dollars annually for local charities.

Doyle expressed hope that the congressmen showing the nation their lighthearted, united side as they play a summer game of baseball together would set a meaningful example. When the leadership of this country is civil to each other, maybe the country will be civil, too, and the news media will be civil, he said. We can change the mood of this country.

Republican manager Rep. Joe Barton (Tex.) said many of Congresss long-standing institutions aim to promote respect despite differences, from the baseball game to the language used on the House and Senate floors. You can be intensely political without being personal. A lot of the traditions of the House are designed to defuse personal animosity: the gentleman from Pennsylvania, my good friend from Texas.

He blamed numerous modern trends on eroding that bonhomie including harsher political ads demonizing members of Congress, members traveling more frequently to their districts rather than spending time getting to know each other outside of work hours, and the instantaneous news updates available online.

The managers also offered assurance that Nationals Park will be highly secure Thursday night, and said that perhaps in future years, the teams should beef up security at their practices.

I bet you most members of Congress would tell you they dont want any personal detail. I certainly dont. Ive never felt unsafe here or in Pittsburgh, Doyle said. But I do think when you have a situation where you have 20 or 30 or 40 members of Congress all in one place, in a completely open place that anybody can walk straight through, I do think maybe we should be rethinking that a little bit.

There was a Capitol Police officer present, parked in a car about 500 feet away, during the Democrats practice this morning too, Doyle said. The Republican practice had two officers, out of their car, because Scalise, as the majority whip, has a security detail.

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The baseball game will go on, Democrat and GOP managers say in joint conference - Washington Post