December 29, 2008

Outlook for the California State Legislature in 2010

It is never too early to look ahead to the next election, and I am doing that with my handy dandy registration tables for the State Senate and State Assembly districts with term-limited and possibly vulnerable freshmen incumbents (in italics). Without further Apu, here are the numbers.

Cross-posted at Swing State Project, Calitics, and my blog.

And I might as well use this diary to promote my new 2010 California Race Tracker website. Anyone is free to join in and contribute information that will be useful for us going into the 2010 elections.

SENATE
8 incumbents are term-limited in 2010, 4 Republicans and 4 Democrats. I am also watching Lou Correa in the 34th district due to his razor-thin win in 2006 after recounts. The 12th district has the best chance of flipping to us, though if we work very hard in the 4th, like Charlie Brown in CA-04, we may have a chance here too.

Republicans (4)

DistrictIncumbentDEMGOPMargin
SD-04
Sam Aanestad
33.07%
44.18%
R+11.11
SD-12
Jeff Denham
47.33%
33.41%
D+13.92
SD-18
Roy Ashburn
31.81%
47.82%
R+16.01
SD-36
Dennis Hollingsworth
28.88%
46.37%
R+17.49

Democrats (5)

DistrictIncumbentDEMGOPMargin
SD-16
Dean Florez
49.60%
33.39%
D+16.21
SD-22
Gilbert Cedillo
58.88%
14.97%
D+43.91
SD-24
Gloria Romero
53.40%
21.44%
D+31.96
SD-34
Lou Correa
42.53%
34.35%
D+8.18
SD-40
Denise Moreno Ducheny
46.25%
30.12%
D+16.13

ASSEMBLY
17 Assemblymembers are term-limited in 2010, 6 Republicans and 11 Democrats. I am also including the 6 new freshmen (2 GOP, 4 DEM) that were elected by close margins. Where the Senate lacks in pickup opportunities, the Assembly makes up. These numbers are over the flip.

ASSEMBLY
17 Assemblymembers are term-limited in 2010, 6 Republicans and 11 Democrats. I am also including the 6 new freshmen (2 GOP, 4 DEM) that were elected by close margins, and 6 reelected Assemblymembers (all GOP) that won by close margins (though Nestande in the 64th was unopposed, the GOP registration advantage is small). The numbers are over the flip.

Republicans (14)

DistrictIncumbentDEMGOPMargin
AD-03
Dan Logue
34.82%
40.26%
R+5.44
AD-05
Roger Niello
37.77%
39.00%
R+1.23
AD-25
Tom Berryhill
36.88%
42.39%
R+5.51
AD-26
Bill Berryhill
41.90%
39.59%
D+2.31
AD-30
Danny Gilmore
46.48%
36.67%
D+9.81
AD-33
Sam Blakeslee
35.93%
40.74%
R+4.81
AD-36
Steve Knight
39.20%
39.25%
R+0.05
AD-37
Audra Strickland
35.76%
41.71%
R+5.95
AD-38
Cameron Smyth
36.65%
40.41%
R+3.76
AD-63
Bill Emmerson
37.69%
40.80%
R+3.11
AD-64
Brian Nestande
36.04%
42.02%
R+5.98
AD-65
Paul Cook
36.93%
41.47%
R+4.54
AD-68
Van Tran
32.63%
41.90%
R+9.27
AD-70
Chuck DeVore
30.05%
43.99%
R+13.94

Democrats (15)

DistrictIncumbentDEMGOPMargin
AD-07
Noreen Evans
52.72%
24.00%
D+28.72
AD-09
Dave Jones
56.53%
18.92%
D+37.61
AD-10
Alyson Huber
39.18%
39.61%
R+0.43
AD-11
Tom Torlakson
53.81%
22.54%
D+31.27
AD-15
Joan Buchanan
40.41%
36.45%
D+3.96
AD-20
Alberto Torrico
48.53%
20.37%
D+18.16
AD-21
Ira Ruskin
47.17%
26.91%
D+20.26
AD-23
Joe Coto
51.42%
19.18%
D+32.24
AD-31
Juan Arambula
48.90%
34.28%
D+14.62
AD-35
Pedro Nava
48.05%
28.19%
D+19.86
AD-47
Karen Bass
64.96%
11.36%
D+53.60
AD-50
Hector De La Torre
61.62%
16.59%
D+45.03
AD-76
Lori Saldaņa
41.92%
27.01%
D+14.91
AD-78
Martin Block
42.86%
31.89%
D+10.97
AD-80
Manuel Perez
44.99%
37.17%
D+7.82

Since it's never too early to prepare for the next election, we should get started on targeting vulnerable districts right away. The 26th and 30th were close heartbreakers for us, but hopefully with more support from the CDP and national Dems, we can take them back.

The 37th was another close race, but fortunately Audra Strickland is term-limited out, so we have a better chance at a pickup here, and can strengthen our presence in this part of the state and hopefully take down Audra's husband Tony in 2012. (I know the districts will have new configurations in 2012, and I intend to map out redistricting possibilities for the next decade later.)

Other areas ripe for the picking include AD-33 on the Central Coast, and in the Inland Empire/Riverside County districts 63-65. My normally Republican-leaning hometown of Rancho Cucamonga is in the 63rd Assembly District and voted for Obama this year, so we have a real chance of making big gains in this part of the Southland. I can't wait for 2010!

Posted by Sara at December 29, 2008 11:03 AM
Comments

your site sounds interesting, sara, & i will check it out...

i agree that it is never too early to start working to improve the Calif. legislature...

wonders were worked in D.C. this time around...

time to get it right in sacramento.

Posted by: Richard at December 31, 2008 01:03 AM

Very nice job Sara. Thank you.

I haven't blogged in ages it seems. Been busy finishing up a project. I hope to be back soon.

Happy New Year!

Posted by: Diana at January 1, 2009 10:45 PM

Thanks! I too hope to do some more blogging when I get back from vacation in Arkansas.

Posted by: Sara at January 2, 2009 04:31 PM

Since our historic Supreme Court "one man-one
vote" decision our CA Legislature has been bicameral, but both houses arestill based on pop.
numbers. Why do we need a two-house legislature!!
It is not a matter of "checks and balances" like
our federal government. For years I've see
all the bipartisan bickering in one house unnecessarily duplicated in a second house not
to mention the tremendous expense. I've asked
this question of people and politicians for years, but all I've ever gotten was "I don't
know," "checks and balances," or "that's the way its always been." If I"m way out, I wish some
one would explain to me why.

Posted by: Frank F. Loftis at February 17, 2009 07:56 PM