One exciting California primary election season is over and
another is just beginning. And because voters defeated the proposed
Proposition 93 term limit extensions for today’s state legislators,
the upcoming June campaigns promise to be at least as interesting
and contested as the presidential primary was, just a lot more
local.
One exciting California primary election season is over and another is just beginning. And because voters defeated the proposed Proposition 93 term limit extensions for today’s state legislators, the upcoming June campaigns promise to be at least as interesting and contested as the presidential primary was, just a lot more local.
In dozens of state Senate and Assembly districts from the Oregon line to the Mexican border, tight and unpredictable races are brewing among both Republicans and Democrats. Despite the reapportionment plan of 2001, designed to assure that almost all districts belong solidly to one party or the other, some hot races will even carry over to the fall.
One classic promises to come in the Palm Springs area 80th Assembly district, now held by Republican Bonnie Garcia, who will be termed out at year’s end and can return home remembering how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once described her as “hot.”
Five Democrats are fighting for their party’s nomination there, with the openly gay Cathedral City councilman Greg Pettis a slight favorite only because four Latino candidates opposing him figure to split the district’s large Hispanic vote. Among them, Victor Manuel Perez, a Coachella Valley school board member, had raised the most money as of March 1.
The early line there favors Indio Councilwoman Lupe Ramos Watson for the Republican nomination over Palm Springs Police Chief Gary Jeandron, says Allen Hoffenblum, co-publisher of the California Target Book guide to state elections. Whoever wins in each party, the fall runoff promises to be close in this district designed for a Democrat, but long held by the GOP.
An equally fascinating race is shaping up in the 30th Assembly district covering much of Kings and Kern counties. Democrat Nicole Parra has held that seat for six years, winning three times by narrow margins. Termed out at year’s end, she just might endorse her most recent Republican opponent, former Highway Patrol officer Danny Gilmore.
This oddity could come because of a generation-old feud between the Parra family and that of current Democratic state Sen. Dean Florez stemming from a long-age race in which Parra’s father was ousted from the Kern County board of supervisors. With Fran Florez, Dean’s mother, the likely Democratic candidate against Gilmore, Parra says she will neither endorse nor vote for Mrs. Florez. Stay tuned to see whether Parra ends up endorsing a Republican.
Possibly the biggest money battle will come among Republicans in Orange and San Bernardino counties, where wealthy businessman Larry Dick, a member of the Orange County water district board, fights Chino Councilman Curt Hagman for the nomination to succeed the termed-out Bob Huff. Whoever wins will be a shoo-in for election in November in this solidly GOP district.
Another anomaly comes in an equally solid Democratic Assembly district in the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles, a seat held for six years by Lloyd Levine, now likely to move to the state Senate. It would be normal for Levine to endorse his former chief of staff, Stuart Waldman, as his successor. But Levine instead has endorsed Robert Blumenfield, director of the district office of Democratic Congressman Howard Berman.
Still, the favorite here may be Laurette Healey, a former deputy state controller who has kicked $100,000 of her own money into her campaign and raised another $100,000. She is endorsed by the influential outgoing state Sen. Sheila Kuehl and several women’s groups.
Much further north, a Republican battle looms in the second Assembly district, stretching from the Oregon line to the Sacramento suburbs. There, former state Sen. Jim Nielson is trying for a comeback against wealthy farmer Charlie Schaupp, who has put up about $100,000 of his own cash. The Republican nomination here is tantamount to election.
Meanwhile, Democrats are targeting the 15th Assembly district in Contra Costa County, now held by soon to be termed out Republican Guy Houston. A win here could for the first time give Democrats control of every legislative seat in the San Francisco Bay area. The Democratic establishment is rallying behind Joan Buchanan, a member of the San Ramon Valley school board, who has no serious primary opposition.
As she saves her money for the fall, four Republicans battle for their party’s nomination, having raised more than half a million dollars among them.
Across the Bay, state Sen. Carole Migden faces a strong primary challenge in the heavily Democratic 3rd Senate district, where her challengers are current Assemblyman Mark Leno and termed out former Assemblyman Joe Nation. This is a battle royale within the San Francisco gay community, as both Migden and Leno are longtime gay activists. Nation, who represented the Marin County part of this district for six years, could be the beneficiary of that split.
And these are just a few of the fascinating contests about to unfold. Almost none would be happening if Proposition 93 had passed and folks like Parra and Houston and Levine and Leno and Kuehl could stay in their existing seats.
No wonder campaign consultants woke up with a smile on Feb. 6, the day after the initiative lost.
