[Sosfbay-discuss] F.Y.I. Special Election - California Senate District 26

Wed Mar 25 10:43:32 PDT 2009

Dear Friends, 

See pasted below the results of yesterday's special election for California's 26th State Senate District.  

This is the election that I briefly ran in as a Green Party candidate before withdrawing in February.  

A couple of points worthy of note: 

At a time when the California State Legislature is a laughingstock, Curren Price is *REWARDED* for his incompetence with a promotion from the state assembly to a better-paying gig in the state senate.  AIG gives bonuses to the world's worst executives. California gives "bonuses" to the world's worst legislators.  

At a time of one of the gravest crises in the history of the United States, Curren Price is going to the California State Senate with 8,442 votes without ever having to answer a single serious question. This is a mockery of democracy and a sad commentary on politics today. 

Nathan Shifren, a right-wing, race-baiting Republican wingnut, came in 4th place with 2,731 votes. In a mid-March candidates debate, Shifren bemoaned the presence of "Mexican illegal aliens" in California, the teaching of "Marxist" courses in public schools and free-lunch programs for the poor: He said: "Here's my program: Make your own doggone lunch."  He called for lower taxes and warned, "We can't kowtow to these environmental wackos who want to bring us into the Dark Ages."  So much for the dysfunctional Republican Party as my "choice" for an alternative to the Democrats.  

Cindy Henderson, the Peace and Freedom Party candidate,
 came in 7th in an 8-candidate field with less than 2% of the vote.  So much for the Peace and Freedom Party as an alternative to the Greens.  

I withdrew in February because my analysis of the campaign indicated that the short campaign, continuing high levels of voter apathy, and the need for more money convinced me that my campaign was hopeless. On paper we have 3,000 registered Greens in the district.  With the right kind of campaign organization, I could have gotten around 13% of the vote or even more.  Without campaign organization I would have gotten a lousy single-digit vote and  I did not want to embarrass the Green Party.

With Obama and the Democrats already floundering in Washington and the continuing dysfunction of Republicans and Democrats in California, I still think 2010 will be a historic good year for California Greens.  

Alex Walker 

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http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11990696

Curren Price Wins State Senate Race, Runoff in May

The Associated Press
Posted: 03/24/2009 11:54:57 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES—Democratic Assemblyman Curren Price handily finished first Tuesday in a race for the vacant state Senate seat that represents much of Los Angeles, but will need to win a May runoff after failing to get a majority of the vote.

A former Ing
lewood city councilman who was elected to the Assembly in 2006, Price garnered 31.6 percent of the vote, besting five Democratic opponents, one Republican and one candidate from the Peace and Freedom Party.

Democrat Mike Davis was second with 21.78 percent, well ahead of the remaining six candidates vying for the 26th Senate District seat left empty when Democrat Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last November.

Price is almost certain to win the runoff in the heavily Democratic district. He'll have to run against the the only Republican on the ballot Nachum Shifren, who finished a distant fourth Tuesday with 11.53 percent of the vote, and Peace and Freedom Party candidate Cindy Henderson, who got less than 2 percent of the vote.

The runoff will be part of a statewide special election on May 19.

Price spokesman Fred MacFarlane said Price had no doubts about winning the runoff and intended to begin the work of the senate district despite being two months from officially getting the job.

"He's very confident that he will be successful," MacFarlane said. "He's not intending to wait until May 19. He wants to be able to reach out to the constituents of the 26th District."

The 26th Senate District includes a large part of Los Angeles—from Silver Lake to South Los Angeles—as well as Culver City, West Hollywood and the unincorporated community of Ladera Heights. Two-thirds of its voters are Democrats.

The other Democratic candidates Tuesday were, in o
rder of finish, Los Angeles County commissioner Robert Cole, financial analyst Jonathan Friedman, Culver City school board member Saundra Davis and management consultant Mervin Evans.

Price and his allies raised more than $1.4 million, easily besting the combined fundraising efforts of his opponents. He also lined up a long list of endorsements, including Ridley-Thomas and Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.

Price's opponents slammed him for campaign contributions from business interests and because he only recently moved into the district to run. Only a small part of his Assembly district overlaps the Senate district.

Officials said the election cost the county $2.2 million.

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http://rrcc.co.la.ca.us/elect/09031288/rr1288pa.html-ssi 

County of Los Angeles
Department of Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
MARCH 24, 2009 - 26TH STATE SENATE SPECIAL PRIMARY
Semi-Final Official Election Returns

As of Date: 03/24/2009 Time: 23:05                            Votes  Percent 

STATE SENATE                 26TH DIST TERM ENDS 11/10                       

   CURREN D PRICE JR  DEM  8,442  35.65% 
   MIKE DAVIS         DEM  5,158  21.78% 
   ROBERT COLE        DEM  3,133  13.23%
   NACHUM SHIFREN     REP  2,731  11.53%
   JONATHAN FRIEDMAN  DEM  1,864   7.87%
   SAUNDRA DAVIS      DEM  1,803   7.61%
   CINDY V HENDERSON   PF    414   1.75%
   MERVIN LEON EVANS  DEM    136   0.57%
                                                                           =C
2 
TOTAL PRECINCTS        354            PRECINCTS REPORTING       354   100.00 
REGISTRATION       390,409  

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