Candidates
Interesting Choice for Democrats in 76th Assembly; newcomer Brittany Catton files papers, poses strong Primary challenge to ex-San Diego Councilwoman Toni Atkins
Everything looks different today in the Open Seat 76th Assembly
district.
A new face, Brittany Catton, filed papers in the past 24 hours setting a classic choice for Democratic primary election voters…………………….
Here’s the field apparently shaping up:
— Brittany Catton, age 28, the director of development and public relations at San Diego Armed Services YMCA. She is a first-time San Diego candidate, and University of San Diego graduate.
— Toni Atkins, age 47, term-limited off the SD City Council in 2008. From 1993 – 2000 she was an aide to Councilwoman Christine Kehoe. Atkins seeks to continue her government career in 2010 as the Democrat Establishment pick.
Alan Hoffenblum’s California Target Book first reported the Catton challenge, but it remained “iffy” to many observers until she took out the official petition papers yesterday.
NEIGHBORHOODS — AD 76
The District includes these well-known neighborhoods: Point Loma, Clairemont, Bay Park, Pacific Beach, Serra Mesa, Mission Village, North Park, Mission Valley, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Uptown and South Park.
Party registration, as of December 8th, is 42% Democrat, 27% Republican, 26% Independent and 5% minor parties.
UPSET HISTORY 2004 – 2010 ?
The seat was last open in 2004, when the clear favorites for the Democratic nod were Vince Hall (former top aide to Gov. Gray Davis) and Heidi von Szeliski (a top pollster). When the votes were counted on March 2, 2004, however, the winner was long-shot Lori Saldana, who is now completing her 3rd and final Assembly term.
– Brittany Catton will certainly have made many friends with her stellar work at the Armed Services YMCA, helping the Home Front with many projects to assist local military families. But she has a hill to climb to overcome the better-known and funded Atkins.
Can fresh new face Brittany Catton pull another election Upset in the tumultuous 76th Assembly district? Stay Tuned!
from the Twitter feed…
From: @sandiegorostra
Sent: Jan 5, 2010 10:07p
Toni Atkins to face Democratic challenger Brittany Catton for nomination in open 76th Assembly race
http://twitter.com/sandiegorostra/status/7431971173
I don’t think anything looks different in the D76 race. Brittany who?
AD and City Council races are two different animals. If she was running for City Council, sure she would change the dynamics. For State Assembly? It takes a strong relationship with party folks to secure funding and bloc support, especially in the very blue 76th AD.
Hi Blue… We’d still like to think you all have some competition, of course!
Heard the same things in 2004…. Vince Hall and Heidi Von
Szeliski had the name endorsements, and a big advantage
in campaign fundraising. Lori who?
State and national polls in 2010 reveal an angry electorate.
This will benefit all newcomers, from either party.
I’m re-registering Dem to vote in this primary! Brittany has my vote AND my heart!
Here is the Target book reference (scroll down)…
http://www.californiatargetbook.com/hs121709.htm
Hell, I’ll MOVE to that AD and re-register to Dem to vote for Brit! Anything to stop that corrupt whackjob Atkins from further polluting the Assembly.
Yes, people, we do know how much easier and less time consuming it is to simply name call and insult, then it is to provide reasoned discussion, especially when it’s about our Dem friends, but could you at least try to play like mature little boys and girls? At least give us some examples of why you believe someone is corrupt.
Fair enough. I believe voting to intentionally underfund the City’s pension system at the behest of union leaders to get union endorsements (and money) is an example of corruption, and at least incompetence.
Now, I don’t understand THIS at all.
Grown men are ready to change parties and move their residences, just for a chance to vote for Brittany Catton !?
What am I missing here?
:O
Jim-
2004 and 2010 are two completely different races. Even back in 2004 I predicted Saldana would pull off the win because she had three things going for her… (1) her support from central committee members (she was an officer of the dem central committee), (2) she was running in a race where everyone had no experience as an elected official (both Hall and Heidi were lobbyists) and (3) Vince and Heidi were slugging each other allowing Saldana to slide by.
The upcoming cycle is nowhere near what 2004 was. Toni Atkins is well established and well known from her eight years on the city council. She has picked up strong endorsements from labor which is crucial in dem primaries. Labor doesn’t really help much in local races that are nonpartisan but when it comes to dem primaries especially a very blue seat like the 76th AD, you need to have labor support. That wasn’t apparent in 2004 when there were too many candidates running. This year there is only one front runner. Brittany might be able to siphon 25% of the vote but she will not get anywhere near the 50% plus one vote or a plurality to win the primary. The only way she would have a legit shot would be if another candidate with elected official experience jumped into the race and made it a slug fest for Brittany to slide by but it is very unlikely a 2nd strong candidate would emerge to make it a three way race. That is why 2004 and 2010 are two very different pictures. I know you enjoy watching us tear each other apart but this is not the race where that will happen. If you really delight in watching Dems knock off other Dems then watch the BoS seat. Saldana is a weak candidate and rumors are flying that Frye will indeed be running for the seat and the gloves will come off and she will be able to knock off Saldana and force Roberts into a Nov run off. Sorry to have you get all excited for naught in the 76th AD race.
Why do you make lengthy posts to a Conservative political
website (SD Rostra) when you have YOUR OWN well-known
local liberal blog site, called ” Blue San Diego” ?
Jim,
It’s always helpful to hear how the other side (Dems or Reps) perspective about issues that concern us all. There is nothing worse than a reader falling into a comfort zone that doesn’t stimulate thinking i.e. conservative just reading conservative blogs and progressives just reading liberal blogs.
We need everyone to help solve our problems in San Diego both conservative, progressives and those in between.
Jim what you are missing is do you see that picture!? <3
Just a reminder from one of the first posts at SD Rostra by THOR, that all are invited to comment…
This website is meant to be a forum wherein news and opinion, usually from the perspective of the center-right, can be read, discussed, and argued over. Our Republic is only made stronger when citizens are active in open debate. Although this website’s bloggers are all right of center, MIGHTY THOR welcomes well reasoned opinions from across the political spectrum.
The rules, enforced by MIGHTY THOR, might sound familiar to some readers. This is a safe haven for political and policy opinions and will maintain a reasonably dignified tone. Politics is rough and tumble, and strong opinions are welcome. What are not welcome are rudeness, foul language, personal insults, insanity, and/or defamation. Comments that fall into this sphere will be purged, ongoing behavior of this nature will lead to the permanent banishment of the offender.
“It is better to stir up a question without deciding it, than to decide it without stirring it up. It is better to debate a question without deciding it than to decide it without debating it.” – Joseph Joubert
Not for the first time, I ask critics to actually READ what
I posted.
Blue SD appears to be the proprietor of the well-
known “Blue San Diego” blog which covers things
from the liberal perspective.
They are averaging 3 or 4 posts a MONTH over there.
Not 3 or 4 posters understand…. 3 or 4 posts ! We do
that here in one day.
But “Blue San Diego” makes a lengthy statement here
….on a mainly GOP blog.
So, getting back to the clearly-expressed point… why is
‘Blue SD’ writing this here, instead of on his own web-
site?
THAT is a fair question to ask. OK?
That is a fair question to ask. I aim for quality, not quantity.
There is not much to write about these days in D circles. It will get heated up again in a month or two and right now the website is down to be replaced by a new format.
I won’t drag myself through mud trying to copy and paste press releases or writing boring stuff.
I do enjoy reading and responding to anything political regardless of party. While you seem to enjoy the idea that there is “competition” between SDROSTRA and BlueSD, that is far from reality. Both are two great websites that cover two great areas of politics, there is no competition between both websites. I like reading about both parties and shouldn’t be competing with you. I will never be able to get inside perspectives from GOPers and their campaign and neither will you be able to get inside perspectives from Dem campaigns. Sorry if you are looking for competition because you won’t find it, I aim to provide thoughtful blogs that are worth reading and won’t try to churn out posts on a daily basis. If that is what you want, you are barking up the wrong tree, maybe try competing with VOSD’s The Hall.
Jim-
I have a good idea. Since you keep thinking SDROSTRA and BlueSD are competing since SDROSTRA churns out a lot more blogs than BlueSD why don’t we actually make it a fun competition but not based on blog output. We can directly compete each other in a prediction contest. Let’s see who can accurately guess who will win in several hot races in San Diego (BoS, County Assessor/Clerk, Sheriff, City Council D8, D6 and any other races you think are hot toss ups).
E-mail me at pepe@bluesd.com if you are interested.
I will as usual be doing my FlashReport and Rostra election predictions contest, which anyone will be able to enter. And, of course, Jim or anyone else can go head to head with BlueSD if they agree between themselves I would assume. However, in the case of Rostra as a singular entity competing…that would be a little tough, as it is not a singular entity that has an official Rostra position or a lone set of predictions. It is over 30 individual opinions, from the center right to conservative to Libertarian, of course, but individual opinions — unfiltered by editors — that make it what it is. Kind of the dialectic synthesis, if you will, even if the term might be better philosophically suited for BlueSD! At any rate, it would be fun to see if any indivdual Rostra authors are interested in the offer of some fun competition with BlueSD!