Arnold Picks Rep. Senator To Replace Dem. Lt. Gov.

Photo Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

It's all about Lieutenant Governors today! Since California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi won the 10th Congressional District race on November 3rd and was sworn in a few days later, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has the opportunity to choose a replacement, which he announced yesterday will be Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado.

Yesterday, MadProfessah attended a forum where the two leading Democratic contenders for Lieutenant Govenor in the June 2010 primary, Los Angeles City Councilperson (15th District) Janice Hahn and State Senator Dean Florez appeared at the monthly Stonewall Democratic Club meeting.

Before they spoke, SDC President John Cleary asked both candidates their view about the Maldonado appointment. Florez said that as someone who will be voting on the matter in the State Legislature within 90 days, he opposed the nomination, primarily because he didn't see why they should allow a Republican governor to replace a Democratic state constitutional officeholder with a Republican. Janice Hahn gave a non-commital response, but both Hahn and Florez thought that either of them could defeat State Senator Jeff Denham, the only Republican who has announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor.

At Calitics, progressive activists received the Governor's creation of State Senate vacancy in a Republican held but Democratic leaning seat with glee:

I am one happy camper. This is perhaps the best news progressives AND Democrats have gotten in this state all year long. I live in SD-15, and Abel Maldonado is, sadly, my State Senator. He is a joke of a Senator, a "moderate" politician when it is convenient for him, a conservative one generally speaking. He only won re-election last year because he and Don Perata cut a terrible deal in 2007, where Perata promised to stop a Democratic primary challenge in exchange for his vote on that budget deal.

But more importantly, this seat - SD-15 - is one of the two seats we need to reach 2/3rds in the State Senate. And like SD-12, it is a majority Democratic seat. The current registration numbers are 41% Dem, 34.5% Rep, and 23% DTS. Arnold Schwarzenegger has just created a huge and invaluable opening for us to break the Zombie Death Cult grip on the State Senate.

Florez referenced the debate on Calitics during his remarks at the SDC forum. It would really be great to have a 2/3rds Democratic majority in the State Senate, but we would still be four seats shy in the 80 seat State Assembly from a 2/3rds Democratic majority in the lower house.

The correct solution is to change the insane 2/3rds requirement for passage of a budget and taxes by enacting the California Democracy Act: "All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote."

I signed a petition to have these fourteen words appear on the November 2010 ballot, and I hope you will too.

CA-10: Garamendi Elected To Congress

Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi has won the special election to replace U.S. Rep Ellen Tauscher in California's congressional district. You may recall this district because this was the race in which Black, openly gay Iraq vet Anthony Woods was a candidate, although with much greater name recognition and money, Garamendi placed first in the primary on September 1, 2009.

Despite all the chatter about Republican gains in Tuesday's elections, the Democrats in Congress have two more votes in Congress after the election than they did before the election.

And that's two more votes for health care reform.

CA-10: Garamendi Wins; Black Gay Candidate Gets 8%

Anthony Woods, the telegenic and youthful openly gay, African-American candidate for the 10th Congressional District of California failed to get the most votes in the Tuesday September 1 special election. Instead, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi placed first among all candidates with 26.15% of the vote and will face a run-off against the top Republican vote-getter David Harmer with 20.58% on November 3rd.
(Hat/tip Rod 2.0)

CA-10: Special Election Day is September 1

The special election to replace Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District of California has been set by Governor Schwarzenegger for September 1. Of special interest to MadProfessah.com readers is the candidacy of Anthony Woods, a 28-year-old Black gay Harvard-educated Iraq veteran who was discharged under the Department of Defense's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

MadProfessah met Anthony at the Sacramento Democratic Convention in April and has endorsed his candidacy. The frontrunners for the seat are California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

However LGBT blogs and groups are starting to pay attention to Woods.

You can find out more information about supporting Anthony Woods for Congress here.

CA-10: Anthony Woods Talks To Americablog

As regular MadProfessah.com readers are well aware, the handsome, 28-year-old, openly gay, African American Anthony "Tony" Woods is running for the soon-to-be-open 10th California Congressional district seat currently held by Ellen Tauscher.

Woods is in Washington, D.C. and stopped by Americablog.com to introduce himself to that popular blog's readers. To support the West Point and Harvard Kennedy School grad, you can donate here at his ActBlue page.

Woods is running against California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

MadProfessah.com endorses Anthony Woods in this race!

CA-10: Black Gay Candidate Starting To Garner Attention

Anthony Woods is a young African American man with impressive credentials who is currently running for Congress: he is a West Point grad, attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and served two tours of duty in Iraq before the age of 29. MadProfessah met him at the California Democratic party convention in Sacramento in April. Oh, and Anthony Woods is gay and was kicked out of the miltary due to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.

There are much bigger names (Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi) running to replace Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District of California as Woods hasn't been given much of a chance but he is starting to get widespread blogosphere notice. Andrew Sullivan called him "A Very New Democrat" and he was described as "the Best Political Resume Ever" by a blogger at The Daily Beast, a story that was tweeted by influential political reporter Marc Ambinder and appeared in The Huffington Post.

This week, Woods was also endorsed by Lieutenant Dan Choi, who has also been in the news due to his public fight against the DADT policy.

MadProfessah endorses Anthony Woods for Congress in CA-10.

CA-GOV: Brown Leads Money Race

Attorney General Jerry Brown has the most amount of cash on hand of all contenders for the 2010 election for California Governor, according to reports filed with Secretary of State.

The top fundraiser overall among likely candidates for governor was Attorney General Jerry Brown, a Democrat who collected $3.4 million. He was followed by fellow Democrats Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco mayor, who raised nearly $1.2 million; and Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who reaped about $1.1 million.

[...]

Of the five contenders, only Garamendi has filed the official paperwork to run for governor. Poizner, Campbell and Newsom have formed exploratory committees.

Others have talked about running but either haven't filed the necessary paperwork — such as former eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman, a Republican — or haven't raised much money, including state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, a Democrat. Or, they've done neither, such as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat running for re-election to his current job.

Among the announced Republicans, State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has self-funded his campaign to the tune of nearly half a million dollars while former U.S. Representative Tom Campbell raised just over $200,000 in 2008. As for cash on hand as of January 1, 2009:

Brown has amassed a total of $4.1 million in his account, including the $3.4 raised last year, but reported spending only $173,000 in 2008. Newsom spent $641,000 last year and has nearly $719,000 in cash on hand. Garamendi spent nearly $557,000 and has $756,000 left. None of the three loaned their campaigns any money.

Campbell used up more than $40,000 last year and had a cash balance on Dec. 31 of about $173,000. Poizner, who leads the Republican field in endorsements, gave himself $460,000 in cash as well as a loan for $100,000; he spent nearly $592,000 and kept $739,165 in the bank.

Mad Professah is an elected member of the California Democratic Party State Central Committee and will be voting to choose the party's nominee for Governor in 2010.

Who do YOU think it should be?

Villaraigosa and Garamendi Show Up To L.A. NO ON 8 Kickoff Event

Earlier in the week I noted that Republican State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner had taken the first step in his run for the Governor's office in California in 2010 and mentioned his likely Democratic opponents. However, in that (relatively long) list I neglected to include Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi.

Garamendi was one of the few politicos who showed up to the kickoff event of the Los Angeles No On Prop 8 campaign on Saturday at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Ed Gould Plaza. Scheduled to speak were Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, State Controller John Chiang, State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas and West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem Abbe Land.

However, only the two Mayors showed up, with a special surprise guest in the Lieutenant Governor. They both gave a full-throated defense of their positions in favor of marriage equality and their opposition to Proposition 8.

The 2010 Gubernatorial Primary should be very interesting indeed. It would be amazing if Gay Marriage is not an issue at all--what will LGBT voters make decisions on? Who was there first supporting the community on marriage (Gavin Newsom) or who has the most effective vision for the state of California as Governor (T.B.A)?