Monday, April 1, 2013

CA-SD-16 Special Field

The deadline for candidates for the CA-SD-16 special election was Friday. The state has yet to certify the field, but five candidates filed. They are three Democrats, one Republican, and a candidate from the Peace and Freedom Party. The method for determining a winner in a California special is unique. While all candidates are included in a jungle primary, just as in a regular election, if a candidate gets 50% in a special primary there is no general election.

While there's only one Democrat who'll get the bulk of the votes, Kern County supervisor, Leticia Perez, having several other Democrats and he Peace and Freedom Party candidate in the race should siphon votes from Perez. Democrats have won the district handily in the past. So the most likely primary scenario is that the three other candidates, at best, keep Perez under 50% in the primary and Vidak gets in the 40's. If Vidak has a real shot in the district, however, he gets two bites at the apple with two different electorates. If he gets 50% in the primary, he wins. If he doesn't, but Perez doesn't either, then he gets another shot one-on-one. While Andy Vidak is certainly an underdog, possibly a big one, the candidate field is ideal for him. Crazy things have happened in California primaries int he past. So you never know.

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