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“Orly Taitz. If that name rings a bell, it's because Orly Taitz is the queen of the Birthers.  Orly Taitz is the California dentist who has filed lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit alleging that President Obama is secretly foreign...” (MSNBC)

She’s been called “crazy,” a “crank,” and a scam artist, but California dentist/attorney and leader of the “Birther Movement” Orly Taitz could be calling herself something else after Tuesday: the Republican nominee for California Secretary of State.

And as Politico’s Kasie Hunt writes, she could win, a thought that might have Republicans worried.

“California Republicans ... could find themselves with a bit of a problem after the votes are counted in Tuesday’s primaries ... Taitz claims she won a straw poll of Tea Party Patriot leaders and compares her candidacy to that of Rand Paul in Kentucky.”

Taitz gained national notoriety when President Obama first took office, making the rounds on many media outlets to protest his presidency.

"The issue is that Obama is completely illegitmate for presidency because he's not a natural born citizen. ... I have discovered that the social security number that was used most commonly by Obama was issued in the state of Connecticut and shows him to be 119 years old." (Colbert Nation)

Taitz’s opponent in the primary is Damon Dunn, an ex-football player who has the support of the Republican establishment, including both candidates running for governor.  When Taitz entered the race, her first move was to sue Dunn, as SFist.com’s Chris Jones explains.

“[She] immediately accus[ed] her opponent of being ineligible to run for this office. Oh, Orly. What's that definition of insane? Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result?”

But as Talking Points Memo notes, Taitz has some high-profile support.

"[She] was a 'special guest' of the Republican Jewish Coalition at the group's 'annual summer bash' ... Also in attendance: GOP heavyweights Karl Rove, former Sen. Norm Coleman, and California Senate candidates Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina."

There have not been any polls done for this race, so there could be surprise. Either way, incumbent Secretary of State Debra Bowen, a Democrat, will start the general election with a huge financial edge, having already raised more than $1 million.

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WRITER: Cordell Anderson, Mike Bushnell

PRODUCER: Newsy Staff