"Jose Hernandez is an astronaut," according to Jose Hernandez, in a campaign video uploaded to YouTube.
Set against a backdrop of shuttle launches, and footage of the Discovery Space Shuttle, California Democratic congressional candidate Jose Hernandez is fighting back against a lawsuit challenging his description of "astronaut" as his ballot occupation.
Hernandez, who was a crew member on the Discovery Space Shuttle in 2009 before leaving NASA in 2011, is running against freshman Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and listed himself as a "astronaut/scientist/engineer" on the June primary ballot.
California law firm Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk filed a suit against Hernandez claiming that because he no longer works for NASA, he should not be permitted to use the title of astronaut on his ballot, saying that "astronaut is not a title one carries for life."
Hernandez fought back with a new campaign video uploaded to YouTube Wednesday.
"The challenges our country is facing are far too important to waste any more time on petty partisan political games," Hernandez said last Friday, according to the Fresno Bee.
