| Opinion - Friday, May 9, 2008
Sun endorsements: And then there were three...
Our recommendation for the 3rd District state Senate race
The District Marin's state Senate seat is the focus of the most hotly contested primary in the state this year. The 3rd Senate District includes all of Marin and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma County. Its registration is 55 percent Democrat, 16 percent Republican and 24 percent decline to state, which makes the winner of the Democratic primary the heavy favorite in November. About 53 percent of the district's Democrats are in San Francisco, with 46 percent in Marin and Sonoma. Typically higher voter turnout in Marin and Sonoma makes the split between San Francisco and Marin/Sonoma closer to 50/50 on Election Day.
Political Background Two veteran Democrats are running against incumbent Carole Migden, who is fighting to hold this seat in the face of scandals and missteps. Mark Leno, a San Francisco incumbent member of the state Assembly, began his campaign against Migden over a year ago. Three months ago, former Marin Assemblymember Joe Nation, seeing a weakened Migden and an opportunity provided by geography, jumped into the race. Migden and Leno both come from San Francisco and both have strong bases in the gay and progressive communities. Nation, who formerly lived in Marin and now lives in Sonoma, is friendlier to business interests, is positioned to the right of the other two and has a strong North Bay base because of his six years representing our local Assembly district and his prior service on the Marin Municipal Water District board. Migden is the only woman in the race and has the advantages of incumbency. Nation must hope that he receives the lion's share of North Bay votes and the votes of more conservative Democrats. Leno must hope that his long months of campaigning, strong base in San Francisco neighborhoods and ability to connect with people carry the day. Both Migden and Leno have strong records as progressive legislators.
Joe Nation seems like one of the nicest, sincerest, boy-next-door-who-also-happens-to-be-a-college-professor kind of guys you'd ever want to meet. He works as an environmental consultant, clearly cares about environmental issues and is riding his knowledge and accomplishments in this area for all they are worth. He also emphasizes his commitment to education and strong support from local school officials. (Although it's interesting to note that Leno lists the California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers as his supporters.)
Nation is known for crossing the aisle and working with Republicans to advance his agenda. He opposed single payer healthcare reform and co-authored a comprehensive healthcare bill with Republican Assemblymember Keith Richmond who has contributed to his campaign. Nation's interest in healthcare is evidenced by the late independent expenditures on his behalf from Californians Allied for Patient Protection, a committee of healthcare providers and insurers. He has also received late independent support from Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy, which is reported to be composed of insurance companies, financial-services firms, developers, card clubs and big corporations. Nation argues that he was standing up for credit unions and small banks and looking for a middle path when he opposed Senator Jackie Speier's consumer-supported financial privacy bill, in one of the great consumer privacy battles of recent times. Consumer groups saw him as doing the bidding of big business.
Carole Migden has a long history in politics. Prior to her service in the state Senate she served on the state Board of Equalization, in the state Assembly, on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and chaired the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee. She is a skilled legislator and has fought for progressive causes for a long time. Unfortunately, she has also repeatedly undermined her own cause. When she first ran for this seat in '04 she alienated large numbers of local people, including Democrats, at a San Rafael Chamber of Commerce candidates' event and in other actions that made it clear she had little interest in the parts of the 3rd District north of the Golden Gate. While she says she was quietly working on Marin issues, including solving a Sausalito houseboat problem, in the first part of her term, most people saw her as out of touch with Marin. From the time Mark Leno declared his intent to run for her seat, she has been a legislative dynamo on North Bay issues, and in general, with hardly a couple of days passing when she isn't introducing legislation, holding a hearing, moving a bill through a committee or announcing another accomplishment. We wonder whether another term would look like the latter part of this one or the earlier part. Migden's behavior issues go beyond interacting with her constituents. She is known to be brutal with her own staff, has been the source of complaints from staff in the Legislature and has had various other erratic episodes such as her reckless driving adventures of last year. More recently, she was assessed the largest fine—$350,000—in the history of the state Fair Political Practices Commission for 89 violations of campaign finance law. She has sued the FPPC, and the Commission has countersued, seeking more than $9 million from her. FPPC Chair Ross Johnson says, "For years, Senator Migden has been deceiving the voters of California by filing inaccurate campaign statements, fabricating the elimination of committees and concealing campaign funds." He describes a "sophisticated and pervasive pattern of deception by her various controlled committees that has been ongoing for more than five years." Migden says she cooperated with the commission for a year-and-a-half during their investigation and paid the fine. She suggests that Johnson, who was formerly a Republican state senator, may have a grudge against her based on some past slight.
Mark Leno has a strong record as a progressive Democrat, having served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors before serving three terms in the Assembly. In many ways his record and basic orientation on issues is similar to Migden's. His legislation covers a broad range of issues including equal rights, consumer protection, environmental protection, healthcare and access to public records, among others. One issue that appears to separate him from the other two is that Leno understands how the State Public Utilities Commission has become the lap dog of mega-corporations at the expense of all Californians, while Migden and Nation seem hesitant to disturb the status quo. For the most part, differences between Leno and Migden have more to do with style than issues. Leno is known for being in the community, which he actually enjoys, and for his skill in working with others to bridge differences. The fact that he was picked to chair the Assembly Appropriations Committee is a sign of the respect he has earned in the Legislature. He has also owned and operated a small business, Budget Signs, Inc.
Joe Nation is a likable guy with a serious approach to issues. In a conservative Central Valley district, he might be a good, even courageous, leader. However, in a society and political system dominated by the money and power of big corporations and special interests, we prefer to see Marin send a legislator to Sacramento who isn't afraid to shake things up a bit. Carole Migden has fought many battles for good causes. She is a skillful legislator who knows how to get things done. If there was no good alternative we might endorse her in spite of all the baggage. However, there is a good alternative in Mark Leno. Leno has been a progressive leader throughout his career and is known for being in the neighborhoods and connecting directly with his constituents throughout his term. He works well with his colleagues and others. We believe Leno's progressive politics and his inclusionary leadership style will be a good fit for Marin and provide us with a strong voice in the State Capitol.
We endorse Mark Leno.
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