Progressive Democrats Sweep Primaries (The Daily Californian)

By Robert Klein
The Daily Californian
June 9, 2008

This year's June primary election was one of the most exciting Democratic Party races in recent memory. Despite record-low turnout, every crucial Bay Area race was decided in favor of an experienced, progressive Democrat. If students show up to volunteer in November, these candidates will lead the party to a likely landslide victory in November.

Assembly District 14 was exciting to watch. I am proud to have been one of Councilman Tony Thurmond's early supporters. Tony is a real hero to me, and he ran a solid race. He received the endorsements of every newspaper in the district, but given the role of mail-in ballots and unprecedented low turnout, they came too late to make a difference. I thank him for running and hope we'll be seeing more of Tony Thurmond in the future.

Our future assemblywoman from the 14th, Nancy Skinner, received over 51% of the vote, a truly remarkable feat. She is an incredibly sharp woman with a real grasp on the issues facing California. In particular, she has extensive experience on environmental issues close to the hearts of district voters.

Meanwhile, current Assemblywoman Loni Hancock won the political fight of a lifetime and with a solid margin. She will be taking over the former seat of Senate Speaker Pro Tem Don Perata. This means eight more years of Loni in the capitol, fighting for public financing of elections and single-payer healthcare.

Across the bay, one of the state's most remarkable Democrats, Mark Leno, will also be moving on to the state senate. Both Mark and Loni faced opponents who played dirty, and they were both targeted by "independent expenditures" trying to end their careers. They won anyway, thanks to strong constituent support.

Contra Costa's senator-to-be, Mark DeSaulnier (Senate District 7), didn't have opposition on the primary ballot. But that is only because he had such widespread support that his opponent backed out early, despite a sizable war chest. If these Bay Area nominees are any indication of how things turned out statewide, the next state senate is something for California to look forward to.

Speaking of the state senate, longtime Senator Tom Torlakson was termed-out of that house and will be serving a final term in the assembly. He is preparing for a long-anticipated run for State Superintendent of Education in 2010.

In Assembly District 15, Joan Buchanan easily fought off a corporate Democrat challenger, and will be facing a "moderate" Republican in November. She will need our help, and the timing of this race means that it has a crucial statewide importance beyond the fact that her district would shift from Republican to Democratic control.

If Joan were to be reelected, Democrats will hold another district going into redistricting season. The political reality is that any redistricting plan (even a "reformed" one) must preserve the state's partisan breakdown as of 2011. As a result, this election may shape the composition of the California legislature for the next decade. The same goes for Jerry McNerney (District 11) in Congress.

And in Tuesday's most exciting victory, Barack Obama became our nominee for president. Democrats' greatest challenge in recent elections has been our failure to effectively communicate with Americans. However, Obama can clearly connect not just with Democrats, but with independents and even many fed-up Republicans. It is up to Barack to get Democrats' message out to America. It is up to students to make sure Americans get out to vote.

This November, we will work hard for our presidential nominee, but he will need the support of Congress and the states to make the change our country needs. Don't let anyone tell you that we can only make a difference by driving to a "swing state." Students must pound the pavement to elect Barack Obama, Joan Buchanan and Jerry McNerney in November. That's the most important thing any of us in the East Bay can do to bring about the change promised in the presidential campaign.