In what one observer called the "nastiest (convention) floor fight they'd ever seen," Assemblyman Mark Leno won the endorsement floor fight today, Sunday, at the California State Democratic Convention. Now, it's Mark Leno as Democrat versus the Republlican Nation for the right to represent San Francisco in the California Senate.
Meanwhile, the ousted Senator Carol Migden left the general hall in disgrace, after her partner issued an 11th-hour motion to block the vote to block a special motion to seat Mark Leno as challenger to Joe Nation, and after Migden's failed initial motion to nix Leno's endorsements.
Got that?
I've got this entire bit of drama on video and will edit and upload it very soon. Right now, the convention staffers are taking down the chair and cleaning up the exhibit hall.
Stay tuned.
Just some clarifications here... this State Senate race is hardly a done deal now. All that really happened at the Dem Convention early this afternoon was a conclusionthat the Party will NOT endorse a particular Democratic candidate in this race.
ReplyDeleteBoth Leno and Migden are still candidates on the ballot for the June Primary election, with the Democrat with the most votes then later to go up against the Republican in the General Election in November. Nation also is a Democrat, not a Republican.
For heavily Dem Districts like this one (north San Francisco, all of Marin, and south Sonoma counties), as a practical matter the Dem who prevails in the Primary election is essentially the final winner because the Republican opponent usually is too weak in the General Election in November. The high drama is in the Primary election.
Thus, they all 3 Democrats (in name, at least) still are in the June Primary Election, but the big victory for Leno was that he and his homies now can advertise clearly that the Democrat Party itself, as manifest through the Statewide delegates vote, DOES NOT endorse or support Migden. The natural next question is why.
Leno then does not have to talk trash about Migden, but just plainly answer questions about her numerous issues. Surrogates for Leno, of course, will have a fun time highlighting that Migden, an incumbent State Senator, failed to secure the endorsement of her own Dem Party.
As the Zennie video (at another blog post) shows in the interview with Leno Sunday morning (with the food table in the background), this is a victory for the Progressive branch of the California Democratic Party.
BTW, this news story tells the story at a surficial level but with the Delegate votes today about the endorsement:
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/03/california_demo_12.html
Here is a fantastic account of the Midgen Meltdown (or at least one of them):
http://www.calitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5439
BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?
Zennie, are you going post your video interview of me recorded shortly after Team Leno mobilized for the 300+ delegate signatures on their petition late Saturday night?? I am not finding it among your numerous postings of the Convention.
--David Pritchett, videographer and delegate from Santa Barbara
www.OffLeashPublicAffairs.org