The Republican field in the 11th Congressional District primary has narrowed to four candidates. Click here to see the full story and a link to a list of East Bay candidates in a variety of races as of today.

Manteca teacher Jeff Takada dropped out earlier this month and Lodi businessman Robert Beadles announced today that he would not file. Both men lacked the money to run serious campaigns. And Beadles remains under a cloud after he was accused by a competitor of stealing equipment and taken to the Sheriff’s Department for questioning. No charges have ever been filed.

The Republican primary cast is an interesting one.

Goehring

Harmer

Lodi winegrape grower Brad Goehring is the homegrown, San Joaquin County candidate, where more than half of the district’s voters live.  But he has never held public office and is largely unknown on the Bay Area side of the district, where he would still need votes to win.

Dougherty Valley attorney David Harmer is the guy who ran in the neighboring congressional district in last year’s special election against Democratic Rep. John Garamendi. Harmer doesn’t live in the district and has run unsuccessfully for Congress twice in two states. But a lot of Republicans think Harmer can raise more money than Goehring — his campaign co-chairmen are former Congressman Bill Baker and former Assemblyman and Board of Equalization member Dean Andal — and wage a far more viable challenge against incumbent Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, in the general election.

Danville businesswoman and former autism research lobbyist Elizabeth Emken launched her campaign after she spoke with McNerney in Washington and found him wanting in his grasp of the health care reform proposals. But Goehring and Harmer have locked down most of the local Republican institutional support, and she may have trouble garnering sufficient momentum.

Amador

Emken

Tony Amador of Lodi has the best ballot designation of the four when it comes to a Republican primary: Former U.S. Marshal. But he is virtually unknown in District 11. He recently moved to Lodi from the Sacramento area and has not yet posted the big fund-raising numbers it would take to boost his name recognition.