If you think that machine politics undermine the democratic process, check out my latest op-ed, published in CalMatters: Machine politics on display in race for state Senate seat.
I write about how Daniel Hertzberg’s campaign for state Senate District 20 is “a case study in politics gone wrong – it’s a toxic blend of entitlement, influence wielding and misplaced collegiality.”
Read more here.
Susannah Delano, Executive Director at Close the Gap CA, had a good week – and it’s all because of the primary election results on June 5.
Her organization works to achieve gender parity in California’s State Legislature by recruiting progressive women to run for open seats, where no incumbent is running, or in purple districts, where most voters aren’t decisively red (Republican) or blue (Democratic).
Close the Gap CA targeted nine winnable districts in the primary with the goal of ensuring “at least one progressive woman was prepared to compete” in the general election.
And compete they did, with wins in eight of the nine districts:
Senate: Anna Caballero (SD 12); Melissa Hurtado (SD 14); Susan Rubio (SD 22); and Maria Elena Durazo (SD 24). Take note – all of these winning candidates are Latinas!
Assembly: Buffy Wicks (AD 15); Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (AD 16); Luz Rivas (AD 39); Tasha Boerner-Horvath (AD 76); and Elizabeth Warren (also in AD 76).
In AD 15, where Buffy Wicks was the top voter-getter, the results aren’t yet finalized: Candidate Jovanka Beckles is in a close 3rd place behind Dan Kalb. If the final vote count moves Beckles into 2nd place, the general election in AD 15 would then be another electoral contest with two progressive women, like AD 76.
As of next week, there will be:
· 10 women in the 40-member State Senate (6 Dems, 4 Reps);
· 20 women in the 80-member State Assembly (17 Dems, 3 Reps);
· 3 women of color in the State Senate (2 Asian Americans, 1 African American);
· 15 women of color in the Assembly (12 Latinas, 3 African Americans); and
· 2 LGBTQ women in the State Senate and 2 in the Assembly.
From this starting point of 23 Democratic women in both houses, Delano expects the number of Democratic women in the State Legislature to tick upwards after the general election in November, approaching 30.
“It’s already clear that 2018 has been an extraordinary year for women candidates,” said Delano. “Close the Gap CA will keep preparing women to run,” she added, “but lasting change depends on whether or not voters will continue to elect them.”
Could three women serve in California’s statewide constitutional offices for the first time in the state’s history?
It’s possible – maybe even likely.
It will take several more days for the Secretary of State to finalize election results from the June 5 primary, but here – as of 11:38 am on June 6 – are the results that could lead to a history-making general election:
Lieutenant Governor – Two Democrats emerged as top vote-getters, with Democrat Eleni Kounalakis (23.4%) besting expected front-runner Ed Hernandez (20.8%) – setting up a fierce contest in November.
Treasurer – Democrat Fiona Ma had a strong finish with 43.2% of the vote, and will most likely defeat Republican Greg Conlon (22%) in the general election.
Controller – Incumbent Controller Betty Yee trounced her opponents with 60.9% of the vote, and should have no trouble dispensing with Republican Konstantinos Roditis (35%) in November.
According to the Center for American Women & Politics, only ten women have ever held statewide elective office in California, including two appointed to fill vacancies (see table).
While there have been many instances where two women served simultaneously in the state’s eight statewide executive offices, never before have three women served at the same time.
California voters have never elected a woman governor, insurance commissioner, or lieutenant governor, though Mona Pasquil was appointed lieutenant governor when John Garamendi vacated the position to serve in Congress.
Are you hoping 2018 will be another Year of the Political Woman? (And no doubt, you’re backing up that hope with your vote, campaign donations and maybe even a little phone banking!)
You can keep tabs on the record number of women candidates running for public office by checking the Election Watch page compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics. For decades, CAWP has been the go-to source for dependable data on women in politics at all levels of government.
Want a quick snapshot of how the nation’s 601 women candidates for Governor, House or US Senate are faring in the 2018 midterms?
Check out the Women Candidate Tracker. It’s a collaboration among Politico, CAWP and the Women in Public Service Project at The Wilson Center.
2017 launches with new leadership at the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.
Assembly Member Cristina Garcia steps in as Chair; and Senator Connie M. Leyva is Vice Chair.
Garcia, elected to a two-year term, also serves as First Vice Chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Known as a strong advocate for women’s issues and a champion of electing more women to public office, Gacia went to the mat this past year for AB 1561, her “No Tax on Tampons” bill. The legislation received majority support in the Senate and Assembly, but was vetoed by the Governor.
Garcia is now working with Caucus members to set their policy priorities for the new year.
Without doubt, 2016 was one of the Caucus’ most successful years ever – and a tip of the hat goes to the Immediate Past Chair, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, for her leadership and tenacity.
Working with the Stronger California Advocates Network, the Caucus championed a proactive policy agenda on economic security and secured a multi-year budget commitment of over $500 million for subsidized child care.
While not a complete list, two other major successes are worth noting:
The bad news for the Women’s Caucus is that their numbers in 2017 are diminished. Twenty-six women now serve in the State Senate and Assembly – down from 30 the previous year.
