Progressives and the June election
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| Also listed in: Courage Campaign Staff |
An interesting trend in the primary results is that the more progressive candidates tended to win the state legislative races - Yamada over Cabaldon in AD-08, Leno over Nation in SD-03, to give just a few examples - but the more moderate candidates had success in the Congressional races.
It's hard to make a direct comparison, because many of the contested legislative races were usually not in the same places as the contested Congressional races. The legislative fights tended to be in safe Democratic districts (with AD-80 being a notable exception) whereas the Congressional fights were of necessity in those districts where Republicans currently hold the seat.
It may be that in those purplish districts moderates outnumber progressives among Democratic voters, and though candidates like Cheryl Ede and Vickie Butcher got a respectable 40% each, it suggests that progressives still have a lot of work to do in those red-to-blue districts. There may also be a presumption that a moderate Dem has a better shot at beating a Republican incumbent and even if that's a true assessment, it suggests the continuing uphill climb progressives face on the frontiers of California congressional battles.
The progressive trend in state legislative races was clearer and more widespread. Industry-funded candidates like Gina Papan and Chris Cabaldon went down to a narrow defeat at the hands of more progressive challengers, while in other primary races, such as AD-14, AD-27, and SD-23, a field of progressive candidates fought to show voters who had the stronger left-of-center credentials. A similar dynamic even showed up in AD-80, where two different kinds of progressives - Greg Pettis and Manuel Perez - battled for the right to shift the seat from red to blue.
There does seem to be a very clear progressive trend happening within the California Democratic Party and its state legislative seats. It's a welcome sign, especially as term limits provides new leadership in Sacramento. Democrats want a state government that addresses their needs - health care, education, transportation, the environment, and they now believe progressive Democrats are the most likely to deliver it.
It's now on to the November elections, where we will aim for a 2/3 majority in both houses to consolidate progressive gains and finally start governing California effectively and sensibly.
It's hard to make a direct comparison, because many of the contested legislative races were usually not in the same places as the contested Congressional races. The legislative fights tended to be in safe Democratic districts (with AD-80 being a notable exception) whereas the Congressional fights were of necessity in those districts where Republicans currently hold the seat.
It may be that in those purplish districts moderates outnumber progressives among Democratic voters, and though candidates like Cheryl Ede and Vickie Butcher got a respectable 40% each, it suggests that progressives still have a lot of work to do in those red-to-blue districts. There may also be a presumption that a moderate Dem has a better shot at beating a Republican incumbent and even if that's a true assessment, it suggests the continuing uphill climb progressives face on the frontiers of California congressional battles.
The progressive trend in state legislative races was clearer and more widespread. Industry-funded candidates like Gina Papan and Chris Cabaldon went down to a narrow defeat at the hands of more progressive challengers, while in other primary races, such as AD-14, AD-27, and SD-23, a field of progressive candidates fought to show voters who had the stronger left-of-center credentials. A similar dynamic even showed up in AD-80, where two different kinds of progressives - Greg Pettis and Manuel Perez - battled for the right to shift the seat from red to blue.
There does seem to be a very clear progressive trend happening within the California Democratic Party and its state legislative seats. It's a welcome sign, especially as term limits provides new leadership in Sacramento. Democrats want a state government that addresses their needs - health care, education, transportation, the environment, and they now believe progressive Democrats are the most likely to deliver it.
It's now on to the November elections, where we will aim for a 2/3 majority in both houses to consolidate progressive gains and finally start governing California effectively and sensibly.