Friday, November 6, 2015

California Business Interests and their politics

California’s Top Two was put in place with the intention of getting more moderates elected. It appears to have worked well, just not in the way the proposition writers intended. They thought that having everyone vote in a primary would lead to the most moderate candidate making top two and then winning the general election. In some instances swing districts have elected moderate candidates, but where they've had the most success is getting the more moderate candidate elected when the results of top two have produced two candidates from the same party.

The California business community has had a lot of success in getting business friendly Democrats elected and legislation has been more business friendly than expected. Some of those Democrats have been in moderate districts. One of them is Cathleen Galgiani, who represents a swing senate district in the San Joaquin Valley. She won a very close election in 2012. This district figures to be the best Republican pick-up opportunity. Reportedly business interests are trying to get Republicans not to compete in this district. I understand them supporting their Democratic allies. If they abandon one now, they may lose the allegiance of others. But trying to get the Republicans to concede? That's going too far.