California Democrats loved last November’s legislative results.
“It seems as though Democrats now have obtained a two-thirds majority that should last them through the decade,” says Paul Mitchell, a Sacramento-based political data and redistricting expert.
The key word is “should.” But this special state Senate election – in a district where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 50 percent to 28 percent – threatens that supermajority.
“The Republicans did exceptionally well in the primary,” Mitchell says. “And in this runoff, nobody really knows what’s going to happen in terms of the outcome, but they have a good shot at winning this seat.”
So naturally, the money is pouring in. Democrat Leticia Perez has raised nearly $2.4 million; Republican Andy Vidak, more than $1.8 million – all for an election that saw just 22 percent turnout in the first round.