Third Candidate Enters Migden-Leno State Senate Primary

The bitter Carole Migden-Mark Leno primary fight just got a bit more interesting: former Assemblyperson Joe Nation entered the race for the Democratic nomination in the State Senate Third District. The district includes about half of San Francisco, all of Marin County and parts of Sonoma County.

Nation is now the fourth member of a race for the seat held by openly lesbian State Senator Carole Midgen. Openly gay Mark Leno, the author of the gay marriage bill which has twice passed the California legislature, is termed out in November 2008 and made the controversial decision to challenge a sitting fellow member of the LGBT Legislative Caucus. In addition, San Francisco Police Commissioner and scion of the City's oldest and most well-known political family Joe Alioto Veronese also entered the race late last year.

Hopefully, the entry of a straight person with strong environmental credentials will not be enough to end the representation of this district by an openly gay or lesbian person.