Tomorrow Is Election Day Here In California

Right-wing carpetbagger Tony Strickland

Well, it's primary day in several states. And several of them have contests that progressives are watching closely. The states with races where there's nothing important going on, on the federal level at least, for progressives: Alabama, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Dakota. In the latter, Mike Rounds is expected to win the Republican nomination for the open Senate seat, where he'll face progressive Democrat Rick Weiland plus two Republicans, Larry Pressler and Gordon Howie, running as independents. Tomorrow Rounds has 4 opponents and one, Tea Party-backed Stace Nelson, is giving him a hard time. Nelson won't win tomorrow, but the depth of his support could rebound negatively on Rounds in November, when Nelson's backers are expected to vote for Howie.

Now, the states with races we're following: New Jersey, Iowa, Montana, and, of course, California. DWT endorsements outside California:

• NJ-12- Bonnie Watson Coleman.

• NJ-02- Dave Cole.

• IA-01- Pat Murphy.

• Montana Senate- John Bohlinger.

CALIFORNIA

There are 3 important House races in southern California, all for open seats, CA-25, CA-31 and CA-33. Blue America has endorsed, respectively, Lee Rogers (in a district that is trending blue), Eloise Reyes, and a dual endorsement in the 33rd: Marianne Williamson and Ted Lieu. Up north, there is the crucial battle in Silicon Valley, where progressive icon Mike Honda is battling a super-financed Republican-in-Democrat's clothing, Ro Khanna. Blue America has endorsed Honda.

Rogers is up against two right-wing extremists, Tony Strickland and Steve Knight, completely out of synch with a moderate, suburban district. The two crackpots were even too extreme for the conservative-leaning L.A. Times, which endorsed Rogers, a first in that district for a Democrat. Since then, Strickland has transformed himself into the ugly face of California gun lunacy by launching and opportunistic, now infamous guns now, guns, tomorrow, guns forever robocall just a couple of hours after a mentally deranged right-wing terrorist murdered 6 of Strickland's former constituents. Strickland, of course, has been endorsed by Republicans, like Paul Ryan, who are eager to elect more Members who they can count on to vote to kill Social Security and Medicare.

Due south of CA-25, down beyond the other side of Los Angeles, is CA-31, the D+5 Inland Empire district that Steve Israel's mind-boggling incompetence handed to the GOP last cycle, the bluest district anywhere in America with a Republican congressman. That congressman, corrupt extremist and bigot Gary Miller, is retiring and Israel is tempting the hand of fate by running his same failed game-plan: attempting to slide in the 2012 loser, Pete Aguilar, a careerist shill for the banking interests with a shockingly low set of ethical standards. Aguilar's entire career, first as a lobbyist, then as an appointed city councilman and appointed mayor, has been too provide a Latino front for the Chamber of Commerce predators-- exactly the kind of candidate Steve Israel loves. He's also been endorsed by the corrupt, Wall Street-owned New Dems. The alternative is a self-made labor attorney and local activist, Eloise Reyes, a dedicated progressive endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blue America, the PCCC, Alan Grayson, Hilda Solis, Xavier Becerra and most Southland progressives. Aguilar's allies on Wall Street have swamped the district with the worst kind of ugly smears against Eloise, exactly what you would expect from a coke-snorting alcoholic bribe-taker and his team.

And the 33rd… There are 17 candidates left standing, but polling shows only 5 electorally viable: two progressives-- Ted Lieu and Marianne Williamson-- and 3 conservatives-- progressional "centrist" Matt Miller, Republican Elan Carr, and "ex"-Republican Wendy Greuel. Greuel, already viewed suspiciously as an opportunistic carpetbagger from the Valley by most Westsiders, probably wrecked her own chances last week with an ugly barrage of signature negative attacks against the two progressives in the race. She never attacks Republicans, only Democrats. That's a bad move in a Democratic primary and her already startling negatives-- from her vicious campaign against Eric Garcetti and Jan Perry-- plummeted further. She did switch her Republican Party registration after the Reagan years when being a Republican got in the way of her careerist ambitions, but in policy and in tactics, she represents the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

Statewide, the only candidate I'm really excited about is the former head of Common Cause, Derek Cressman, who is running for Secretary of State against a gaggle of mediocre careerists. The other statewide candidates I plan to vote for are Betty Yee for Controller, John Chiang for Treasurer, Kamala Harris for Attorney General, Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner and Tom Torlakson for Superintendent of Public Instruction. I'll probably vote for the Green candidates, Cindy Sheehan and Jena Goodman, for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

My own Assemblyman (AD 43), Mike Gatto, does a good job and I'll vote to reelect him. In AD 64 there's an opportunity for a real upgrade by electing Comptom Board of Education President Micah Ali. There are also two L.A. County supervisorial races with excellent candidates-- District 1 (Hilda Solis) and District 3 (Sheila Kuehl). I'm going with Jeff Prang for L.A. Assessor and with Lou Vince for L.A. County Sheriff. And the judicial candidates:

• Office No. 22- Pamela Matsumoto.
• Office No. 48- Chuck Calderon is uber-corrupt but I'm not confident in Carol Rose. It's either her or an unthinkable crook for judge.
• Office No. 54- Debra Losnick
• Office No. 61- Jacqueline Lewis
• Office No. 87- Andrew Stein
• Office No. 97- Songhai Armstead
• Office No. 107- Emma Castro
• Office No. 113- Steven Klaif
• Office No. 117- James Pierce
• Office No. 138- Donna Armstrong
• Office No. 157- Arnold Mednick

Both ballot measures, 41 (Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act) and 42 (Public Records and Open Meetings Constitutional Amendment) are worth voting YES on.

Next up: Virginia and South Carolina, a week from tomorrow.