Hollister
– Many of this year’s state government races are likely to be
dull, with one candidate or another clearly in the lead. San Benito
County, on the other head, belongs to one of the few State Senate
districts that pundits say might be up for grabs.
Hollister – Many of this year’s state government races are likely to be dull, with one candidate or another clearly in the lead. San Benito County, on the other head, belongs to one of the few State Senate districts that pundits say might be up for grabs.
Republican Jeff Denham has name recognition and a bigger bank account, but he’s up for election in District 12, where Dem-ocrats outnumber Re-publicans by nearly 10 percent. Denham is running on what he says is a four-year record of success and bipartisanship, while Democrat and political newcomer Wiley Nickel paints himself as a reformer seeking to oust someone who’s too conservative for his community.
“I don’t know a lot about my opponent,” Denham said. “I’ve always thought it was going to be a tough race, and I’ve tried to stay focused on the issues. I want people to know about my four-year record of accomplishment, and about my vision for the next four years.”
So what has Denham, the 39-year-old owner of Denham Plastics, done with his time in office? He said it’s hard to single out just one thing, but he is proud of his work on the state budget deficit.
“When I got into office, there was a $40 billion deficit,” he said. “I worked on reforming workers’ compensation to solve that deficit.”
Denham added that he has worked with senators across the aisle on a number of issues.
“The fact that I’m the chair of the agriculture committee and a Republican says a lot about my relationship with the other party,” he said. “I’m the only Republican to chair a committee and the only opposition member to ever chair the agriculture committee.”
Nickel, however, describes Denham someone who’s far to the right of most of his constituents.
“I’m running because there are things I want to do in the Senate, but there are obviously huge differences between us,” Nickel said. ” He’s a far-right conservative; he’s to the far right of this district on almost every issue. … There’s not one difference between him and George W. Bush.”
Nickel pointed to the recent outbreak of E. coli caused by tainted spinach grown in the Salinas Valley as one issue where Denham has been “asleep at the wheel.” Nickel said he would have paid much more attention to investigating the outbreak’s source.
“The most important thing is to make sure that California farmers have a safe product that everyone around the world knows is safe,” he said.
Denham said he plans a hold a hearing with the chair of the State Assembly’s agriculture committee to look into the issue.
When it comes to political labels, both Denham and Nickel said they don’t fall in line with either party.
Denham described himself as a moderate conservative, but added, “None of the labels necessarily fit my style.” As an example, Denham said that he’s fiscally conservative but is a big spender when it comes to education.
Nickel said that he’s a “moderate-to-conservative Democrat.” On most issues, he considers himself a liberal, but that he takes a more conservative stance on taxes, gun rights and the death penalty.
“I’m not going there to be like every other Democrat,” he said. “I blame Democrats for some of the problems. Look at the budget; that’s not all Arnold (Schwarzenegger’s) fault.”
Being more than just another politician is a big part of 30-year-old Nickel’s message. He said he left his position as deputy district attorney in Monterey because he was frustrated with what was going on in Sacramento and saw a chance to change things. Nickel has created a “taxpayer protection contract” that he said shows his commitment to reform, rather than “perks and privileges.” The contract includes promises to vote on every bill, to limit campaign contributions to $500 and to refuse any pay if the budget is late.
“I shouldn’t get a paycheck if I can’t get the job done on time,” he said.
One major focus of Denham’s campaign is Prop. 83. If passed, the proposition will force convicted sex offenders to wear Global Positioning System devices for the rest of their lives. Denham said he didn’t want any other families to suffer through the experience of having their child molested or murdered, and he wasn’t worried about punishing people who had already served their time.
“If I had my way, I’d have them locked up forever,” he said.
Nickel said he also supports the proposition.
He added that it’s particularly important for voters to look at Denham’s record on abortion. Nickel said he supports a woman’s right to choose, while Denham does not. The California branch of NARAL has labeled Denham as “anti-choice.”
Denham, meanwhile, said he wants voters and the media to look at more than his legislative record. During his four years, he said, he’s also focused on “customer service” – in other words, solving problems without legislation. Denham said that although he hasn’t signed on state laws about crosswalks, he’s worked with the California Department of Transportation to make sure crosswalks are put in on busy streets in Hollister.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566, ext. 330 or ah*@fr***********.com.
