SACRAMENTO -- — For the first time in a dozen years, California voters Tuesday ousted a sitting legislator in a primary election, and Los Angeles area voters refused to extend Mervyn Dymally's 46-year political career.
The election results set the stage for several serious Republican-versus-Democrat clashes for legislative seats in November's general election.
San Francisco and Marin County Democrats threw state Sen. Carole Migden out of office when they chose her challenger, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), by a wide margin. Migden could have been reelected to another four-year term, but Leno will face Republican unknown Sashi McEntee in November to represent the liberal 3rd Senate District.
Legislators rarely challenge colleagues of their own party, but many troubles have dogged Migden this past year, including a $350,000 fine for campaign finance violations and probation for reckless driving. Voters last ousted an incumbent in a primary election in 1996, when Republican Brian Setencich of Fresno was punished for working with Democrats to briefly attain the Assembly's top post.
Democratic voters Tuesday also rejected the bid of Assemblyman Dymally of Compton to move to the state Senate. With a 44% to 35% vote, they chose former Assemblyman Rod Wright to run against Republican Lydia Gutierrez in November to represent the 25th Senate District, which includes San Pedro and Inglewood. Democratic voters dominate the district, so Wright is practically guaranteed a victory.
Business interests including apartment owners, Sempra Energy and the Philip Morris tobacco company invested heavily in advertising and phone calls to voters on Wright's behalf. The Alliance for California's Tomorrow, a business coalition, spent nearly $1 million supporting Wright and $200,000 opposing Dymally.
Wright said he was proud of his business and labor support, as well as the endorsements of every mayor in the district.
"I don't know that Merv necessarily made it his business to reach out to local guys," he said.
Dymally, 82, has already served in both houses of the Legislature, as lieutenant governor and in Congress. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1962.
Though 100 of 120 legislative districts will be up for grabs in November, most are so dominated by either Democrats or Republicans that the winners are a foregone conclusion once the primary contests are settled. But a few districts that are more narrowly divided still offer true competition.
