Environment Wins in California
Contra Costa Times political editor Lisa Vorderbrueggen links to a League of Conservation Voters analysis of the just-completed California primary elections. LCV-endorsed candidates won 90 percent of their races.
Including, I’m happy to say, in the race on which I did some volunteer work: Contra Costa County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier’s win in the Assembly District in which I win. As the LCV report explains:
Nothing exemplifies this improvement more than the race in Assembly District (AD) 11 where Contra Costa County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier defeated Laura Canciamilla, wife of current termed-out Assemblymember Joe Canciamilla who has the dubious distinction of being an urban Democrat with a very poor record on the environment. DeSaulnier, as a member of the California Air Resources Board, has established an outstanding record of supporting cutting edge policy to address air quality challenges in California. He will not only be a good vote on environmental issues in the Assembly, but will bring a record and knowledge on air pollution that should catapult him into a leadership role on our issues. We have high expectations of DeSaulnier!
The DeSaulnier/Canciamilla match-up exemplifies the “add-value” results in the Assembly primaries. Other races that feature new Assemblymembers who will be a significant improvement over their predecessors are Mary Salas replacing Juan Vargas in AD 79 and Ed Hernandez replacing Ed Chavez in AD 57.
Wow…talk about the spin machine at work.
Personally, I have no problem with the fact that 90% of their candidates won. But let’s be honest, how many of the 28% of the population that voted could have even told you who the LCV endorsed candidates were?!? As a committed voter, I know I couldn’t have done so. Is an endorsement worth anything if the voters don’t even know (or care) about the endorsement in the first place?
Of course, the real problem with the LCV piece is that they already have their candidates in office when all they did was win the primary. Normally I’d warn about counting one’s chickens before they hatched, but it this day and age in CA, the LCV is probably right. The lack of competition is the real scary part.