Emanuel Pleitez, one of three Democrats vying to replace Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in the House, held a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night — but did not appear there himself.

Leticia Ramirez, Pleitez’ campaign manager, said the candidate originally planned to attend the low-dollar event, held at a condominium in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, but had family and campaign business to attend to back home.

Pleitez, a financial adviser who served on President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department transition team, is running an outsider’s campaign against two better-known candidates: state Sen. Gil Cedillo and State Board of Equalization Chairwoman Judy Chu.

The special election to fill Solis’ House seat in the San Gabriel Valley has not been formally scheduled but is widely expected to be set for May 19, when voters statewide will go to the polls to ratify elements of a deal on the state budget. Democrats are all but guaranteed to hold Solis’ seat.