Latest California Election Returns on Ballot Props and State Legislative Races

In the 22nd Assembly District including San Jose, Democrat Paul Fong has bested Dominic Caserta by a 8473 to 7115 margin with other candidates far behind. Both Fong and Caserta were endorsed by the California Labor Federation. This is a heavy Democratic district.

In the 78th Assembly District in San Diego, Martin Block, endorsed by the Calfornia Labor Federation and the California League of Conservation Voters, and opposed by the so called Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) with independent expenditures, appears to have narrowly won a three way race with 36.3% of the vote and 9585 votes. His nearest competitor, the 2006 Democratic nominee, received 34.8% of the votes or 9188 votes. What is fascinating in this case is that Sherard spent a total of $700 out of her 2006 campaign account in this race. CJAC put in $197 in independent expenditures beginning on May 27, and nearly won this race for her on the strength of her name identification and their funding. This is a battleground district which looks ripe for the picking for Democrats and is currently represented by Republican Shirley Horton who narrowly beat Sherard in the last election. A telling sign is that the Democratic candidates votes here greatly exceeded that garnered by the sole Republican candidate, John McCann, who may, or may not benefit by a name close to that of the Republican Presidential nominee.

Last but not least in the Assembly district races, in the 80th AD, it appears that Manuel Perez has won the Democratic nomination with 6951 votes or 35.5% in a four way race over Gregory Pettis, his closes competitor with 26.3% or 5160 votes. This seat was the closest race in the last election for State Assembly between the Democrats and Republicans and includes parts of Imperial and Riverside Counties. This will be a big battleground and the Democratic votes exceeded those received by the lone Republican Gary Jeandron, who will oppose the Democratic nominee.

In a race that had been close earlier in the evening in the 25th Senatorial District in Southern Los Angeles County, former Assemblymember Rod Wright beat sitting Assemblymember Mervyn Dymally—the dean of the legislature who was Lieutenant Governor of California in the 1970’s by 44% to 35.1% for the Democratic nomination and certain victory in November. Wright was elected to the Assembly in 1996, and served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce (U&C) which held legislative jurisdiction over electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, private water corporations and other issues related to commerce. He was recognized for his work in the areas of public safety, education, energy and utilities, small business, family law and consumer privacy. He was elected with over $900,000 of independent expenditures from the Alliajce for California Tomorrow, a group that has received money from tobacco company Philip Morris, the Chamber of Commerce’s Jobs PAC, real estate interest, the California Building Industry Alliance, and Sempra Energy among others. He also received $100,000 in independent expenditures in the form of radio ads from the California Apartment Owners Association. These IE’s total to over $1 million and dwarf the money spent by both candidates’ campaigns proper.

It is unknown at this time if Democrat Dennis Morris was successful in getting the approximately 3600 write in votes he needed to oppose Republican incumbent Abel Maldonado in the 15th Senatorial District along the central coast. This district has a significant Democratic edge in voter registration and could be in play with a candidate on the ballot. Maldonado was the first to break ranks with his fellow Republican Senators and vote for last year’s state budget, and the Democratic leadership of the Assembly felt it was best to not field a candidate against him and let it be known that there would not be any funding by them for such an effort.

Contested But Not Close Legislative Races

We have articles on the Loni Hancock 13 point victory over Wilma Chan in the Alameda and Contra Costa County 9th Senate District, Fran Pavley’s romp over Lloyd Levine for the Sheila Kuehl Senate Seat, and Mark Leno’s big win over incumbent Senator Carole Migden and Joe Nation.

Business attorney Allyson Huber, a candidate to watch, easily won the Democratic nomination in the 10th Assembly District, which is centered around Sacramento and Amador County and environs. She will face Republican Jack Sieglock in an attempt to move this once solid Republican district into the Democratic column.

In the 14th Assembly District, elected East Bay Parks District representative Nancy Skinner, a progressive endorsed by Loni Hancock who was termed out and ran successfully for the State Senate, received 46.8% of the vote in a four way race and won handily. In this most Democratic district, she is as good as the next Assemblymember. See our article on this race.

In Assembly District 15, the last in the Bay Area to be represented by a Republican, Joan Buchanan, a strong candidate endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters and many other groups who will be making a big move to win this seat for the Democrats, won by a two-to-one margin over her opponent. It is not clear who she will face in the Fall—either Republican Abram Wilson who has 9680 votes or Robert Rao who is at 9231 votes. This district stretches from Contra Costa County to Sacramento. It is one that the Democrats have coveted for years and recent registration figures definitely put it in play. Expect this to be a big battle ground district.

In the 27th Assembly District, which includes Santa Cruz, attorney, professor, and mediator Bill Monning has the Democratic nomination and will be the winner in the Fall in this heavily Democratic district. He received 51% of the vote in a four way race, besting his nearest competitor, Santa Cruz City Council Member Emily Reilly, who received 23.9% of the vote.

In AD 40, the scene of much independent expenditures by committees friendly to the top two candidates, Bob Blumenfield District Director for Member of Congress Howard Berman, handily won a four way race for the Democratic nomination with 53.4% of the vote over his nearest competitor, Stuart Waldman, who received 21% of the vote. This is a heavy Democratic district.

Denham Recall in Senate District 19 Goes Down in Flames

The major funding for this effort to recall Republican Senator Jeff Denham was pulled when earlier polling showed this to be a losing cause. The recall was favored by 24% of the electorate and voted down by 76% of the vote. One effect this had was to swell voting in this district to 33% of registered voters, about one and half times the statewide average which appears to have been a 22% or so turnout.