Sacramento CLC 2008 General Election Report

CHANGE SWEEPS the NATION, STATE & REGION

Victories in 2008

November 4th, 2008 marked a day of change in our Nation’s history. Not only did we over come an election season full of fear, intolerance and the “Same Old” Washington DC politics as usual, to bring about historic change nationally as well as regionally and locally.

The Sacramento Central Labor Council’s 2008 Election Season which began so long ago in January with the Nevada Caucuses and the February California Presidential Primary Election ended a few weeks ago with an historic number of voters turning out to vote for a brighter future for working families and the middle class.

In the November General Election cycle, the Sacramento Central Labor Council endorsed 60 candidates after numerous candidate interviews and input by our affiliates and delegates. Of our 60 endorsed candidates, 38 of those candidates were successful in their campaigns.

With Organized Labor mounting furious campaigns in previously held ‘RED’ areas in the Sacramento Region, we were able to take back 1 Assembly Seat (Joan Buchanan – 15^th AD) and 1 Assembly Seat (Alyson Huber – 10^th AD) is still too close to call, while protecting 3 other Assembly Seats (8^th, 9^th, 17^th) in our Region.

Assm. Lois Wolk was successful in protecting the 5^th Senatorial Seat previously held by Sen. Mike Machado.

On the Congressional side, 3 of our Region’s Congressional delegation (Dist 1 Mike Thompson, Dist 5 Doris Matsui, Dist 11 Jerry McNerney) were easily able to retain their seats. 

After being on everybody’s ‘Target List’ since his narrow defeat in 2006, Organized Labor put together a massive campaign on behalf of Charlie Brown for Congressional District 4. Many of our local affilitiates contributed ‘Lost Time’ members to the Labor Council to organize and run a very successful Labor program and ‘Get Out The Vote’ Campaign. This race has been very close since the close of the polls, and as of 5:00pm on Thursday, November 13^th, Charlie stands just 815 down with the Nevada County Provisional Ballots yet to be counted (Charlie won Nevada County by 15% points on Election Day), so the prospects for a Charlie Brown Victory is still very much a reality. 

In Congressional District 3, Bill Durston once again ran a very effective campaign, and as of this deadline finished just 5% points behind, 49.5%-44.2%, in a race that had many thinking that the Republican Voter Registration Advantage was just too large to overcome. With an army of loyal volunteers & an effective GOTV campaign, the Durston Campaign showed everyone that every seat is attainable & should be contested. With Bill Durston’s recent acknowledgement that he will run again in 2010 for this seat, this will put him in the same situation that Charlie Brown found himself in 2006 and have many Labor Union’s and affiliates lining up in early support of the good Doctor.

In Sacramento, we had a historic Mayoral campaign as the Central Labor Council endorsed Challenger Kevin Johnson easily won election over incumbent Heather Fargo in the Mayoral runoff election. Numerous Unions came out to campaign on behalf of the Johnson Campaign as well as making phone calls and writing letters to their members in support of Kevin Johnson, who has pledged his support to the working men & women of the Region.

You will notice below that we also were very successful in numerous City Council, Placer County Board of Supervisors, SMUD, Fire Board, Community College and School Districts throughout the 6 counties represented by the Sacramento Central Labor Council.

Also listed below are 2 Local Measures, Measure M (Los Rios Community College Dist Bond) & Measure O(Sacramento City Utility User Tax) that were successful on Election Day & endorsed by the Sacramento Labor Council, as well as the 10 Ballot Propositions that were endorsed or opposed by the delegates at the California Labor Federation COPE Convention last summer.

As you can see a lot of hard work goes into an Election Season, the Endorsement Process, Educating our Members and ultimately Getting Out The Labor Vote, and it takes every Union Member standing together & giving a little back, coming out and being an example of the change that you want to happen, that we are successful in bringing about the change that Working Men & Women long for in our Nation, State & Local Communities.

2008 General Election Summary

2 LOCAL MEASURES SCLC POSITION VICTORIOUS

6 BALLOT MEASURES SCLC POSITION VICTORIOUS

TOTAL VOLUNTEER SHIFTS: 2200 – 180% of goal set by the CA Labor Federation

Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO

November 2008 Endorsements

BARACK OBAMA – Sac County 58-40%, Ca 60-37%, US 52-47%

District 3 – Bill Durston: 49.9 – 43.8%   down 17,608 votes (Peace & Freedom candidate 12,132 votes, 4.1%)

District 4 – Charlie Brown: 50.1 – 49.9%    down 592 votes (807 Precincts)

District 11 – JERRY MCNERNEY: 55 – 44%   up 29,173 votes

District 1 – Anselmo Chavez: 62 – 37%   down 88,547 votes

District 5 – LOIS WOLK: 64 – 35%   up 85,010 votes

District 2 – Paul Singh: 65 – 34%    down 43,424 votes

District 3 – Mickey Harrington: 55 – 44%   down 18,714 votes

District 5 – Dan Leahy: 54 -38%   down 24,576 

District 8 – MARIKO YAMADA: 65 – 34%   up 50,000 votes

District 10 – Alyson Huber: 46.9 – 46.3%   down 946 votes. 491 Precincts.

District 15 – JOAN BUCHANAN: 52.8 – 47.2%   up 9,411 votes

KEVIN JOHNSON: 1^st Place, 57.22 – 42.31%   up 22,105 votes. Beat an incumbent.

Mark Johannessen: 2^nd Place, 54.2 – 40.3%   down 2,098 votes.

WEST SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL (2 Seats)

Salina Valencia: 3^rd Place,   21%   Down 2,454 votes

JIM COOPER (Inc): 1^st Place, 58 – 41%,   Up 7,483 votes.

STEVE DETRICK: 1^st Place, 59 – 31%,   Up 11,935 votes. Beat Incumbent Mike Leary.

KEN COOLEY (Inc): 1^st Place, 32.32% 

ROBERT MCGARVEY (Inc): 3^rd Place, 27.36%

Tim Raboy (Inc): 3^rd Place, 16.15% Down 449 votes. Raboy: Incumbent lost. Fmr Mayor reelected.

Rick Salton: 6^th Place, 7.76% Down 1,342 votes. UFCW Candidate.

Rene Aguilera: 4^th Place, 13% Down 5,567 votes.

GARY LISS: 1^st Place, 38% Up 310 votes.

PLACER COUNTY BOARD of SUPERVISORS, DIST 5 (Run-Off, 1 Seat)

JENNIFER MONTGOMERY: 1^st Place, 55 – 44%   Up 2,122 votes.   Beat an Incumbent

NANCY BUI: 1^st Place, 51.74 – 32.10%   Up 11,881 votes. 3 way race.

MICHELLE ORROCK: 3^rd Place, 16.42%   7 way race. Beat 2 Incumbents.

Doug McElroy (Inc): 5^th Place, 12.89% McElroy: Incumbent lost

Rod Brewer: 7^th Place, 7.96% 

Hal Morris (Inc): 4^th Place, 13.39% Down 420 votes. 7 way race.

Steve Booth: 5^th Place, 12.41%

Robert Blanchard (Inc): 6^th Place, 10.84%

D’ELMAN CLARK (Inc): 1^st Place, 64 – 35%   Up by 5,206 votes

Kendal Tough: 4^th Place, 14.68%   Down 1,138 votes

TERRY COCHRAN (Inc): 1^st Place, 56– 42% Up 10,658 votes. 212 Precincts.

PAM HAYNES (Inc): 1^st Place, 42 – 36% Up 2,620 votes. 5 way race.

KAY ALBIANI (Inc): 1^st Place, 59 – 21% Up 24,067 votes.

SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (1 Seat per Area)

GUSTAVO ARROYO: 1^st Place,  44.47 – 40.40%   Up 396 Votes. 30 Precincts. 3 way race.

DIANA RODRIGUEZ: 1^st Place, 67 – 16% Up 4,617 votes. 3 way race.

SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (3 Seats)

LARRY MILES (Inc): 1^st Place, 25.39%   5 way race.

RICK LAUNEY (Inc): 3^rd Place, 22.56%

NATOMAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (3 Seats)

SUSAN HEREDIA (Inc): 1^st Place, 29.45%, 6 way race.

JULES TRAN: 3^rd Place, 15.54%

Briza Trujillo-Cardenas: 5^th Place, 10.06%, Down by 1568 votes.

Dyarl Abdo: 6^th Place, 7%, 8 way race.

Roneca Provost (Inc): 3^rd Place, 17.13%, Down 1069 votes. No Ballot Statement.

GALT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT (2 Seats)

KATHLEEN AMOS: 1^st Place, 29.86%, Up 103 votes.

WASHINGTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (3 Seats)

DAVE WESTIN (Inc): 1^st Place, 34%

TERESA BLACKMER: 2^nd Place, 27%. Beat an Incumbent, Board President Barry Kalar.

ROSEVILLE CITY SCHOOL BOARD (2 Seats)

GARY MILLER: 2^nd Place, 34%

MEASURE O – Sacramento City Utility User Tax

Prop 2: Treatment of Farm Animals – No Recommendation: Y=63.3% N=36.7%

Prop 3: Children’s Hospital Bond Act – No Recommendation: Y=54.8% N=45.2%

PROP 4: ABORTION NOTIFICATION FOR MINORS – OPPOSE: Y=47.8% N=52.2%

Prop 5: Non Violent Offenders, Sentencing – SUPPORT: Y=40% N=60%

PROP 6: CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND LAWS – OPPOSE: Y=30.5% N=69.5%

PROP 7: RENEWABLE ENERGY – OPPOSE: Y=34.9% N=65.1%

Prop 8: Limit on Marriage – OPPOSE: Y=52.2% N=47.8%

Prop 9: Criminal Justice System, Victims Rights – OPPOSE: Y=53.5% N=46.5%

PROP 10: BONDS ALTERNATIVE FUEL – OPPOSE: Y=40% N=60%

Prop 11: Redistricting – OPPOSE: Y=50.9% N=49.1%   Y’s up 174,636 votes.

PROP 12: VETERANS BOND ACT – SUPPORT: Y=63.3% N=36.7%