With Merced Republican Jeff Denham campaigning for Congress, it
has left Ceres Mayor Anthony Cannella and Salinas Assemblywoman
Anna Caballero to compete for his 12th Senate District seat.
With Merced Republican Jeff Denham campaigning for Congress, it has left Ceres Mayor Anthony Cannella and Salinas Assemblywoman Anna Caballero to compete for his 12th Senate District seat.
Caballero raised $161,430 from May 23 to June 30, according to reports filed this week with the secretary of state. She has raised $364,038 this year, and has $212,299 in the bank. As an incumbent Democrat, Caballero is drawing heavy support from her party and labor groups.
Cannella, a Republican, gathered $46,898 over the same period, and has raised $143,376 this year. He’s sitting on $201,186. His biggest checks have come from San Joaquin Valley businesses and Republican lawmakers, though his party has not put nearly as much cash into the race as Democrats have in supporting Caballero.
Caballero has been spending money to raise her profile in the San Joaquin Valley. The sprawling district includes parts of Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, San Benito and Monterey counties, with most of the voters in the San Joaquin Valley.
Campaign finance reports show she’s buying radio ads on San Joaquin Valley stations, and paying workers on the ground in Merced and Modesto. She spent $62,649 to produce radio ads in May, and spent smaller amounts buying time on air this summer.
Their race is expected to be especially competitive because the district has a Democratic majority even though Republicans have held it for the past eight years. Democrats want the district to bring their party closer to a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which would let them write a budget without Republican input. Republicans want to keep the district to hold on to their influence over the budget.
