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Special election heats up on the Central Coast

June 14, 2010

Capital staffers from both Republican and Democratic parties have flocked to the Central Coast to promote their respective candidates to fill the 15th Senate District seat recently vacated by Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado. [CapitolWeekly]

A special election is set for Tuesday, June 22. If none of the four candidates get 50 percent of the vote, plus one, a runoff election follows in August.

A poll run by the Democratic contender’s campaign shows that former Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, and Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, are running neck and neck with Laird at 32 percent and Blakeslee at 33 percent.

Special elections typically have a lower than average turnout. Since the race’s outcome depends largely on turnout, both of the major parties have sent droves of staffers to Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo.

Both camps are focusing on bringing their own voters to the polls, rather than swaying independents.

The Laird campaign is sending staffers to walk districts seeking the Latino voters who supported Maldonado’s wins in 2004 and 2008.

GOP staffers are also walking districts and manning phone banks. They have been focusing on voters in the San Jose area.

Sam Blakeslee will be interviewed on KVEC 920 AM Wednesday from 5:05 to 6 p.m. John Laird will take the same time spot on Thursday. Listener phone calls for both candidates are invited.


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——————-Sam, is the right person for this seat. He has helped in stopping Caltrans from shoveling their debris into the Oceano Communities Storm Water Drainage System as seen at http://www.oceanonursery.com and on YOUTUBE under Caltrans!


He is helping to see a fix for the problems west of State Highway 1, involving the Oceano Airport property, which has caused the County Of San Luis Obispo and Caltrans to use our State Highway for their storm water retention as seen in YOUTUBE videos at http://www.oceanonursery.com


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We need to know that our senator will protect our coastline and never give in to big oil. Not only does Blakeslee have a long time relationship with big oil, but he is using JOBS PAC to send out hundreds of thousands of dollars in mailers to central coast residents – with Chevron being the 2nd largest contributor to JOBS PAC. As far as Laird’s track record – the San Jose Mercury News named him the regions “Most Effective Legislator”. I’m voting for Laird and hope our registered voters will get out and do the same on June 22nd.


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I like Sam – I think he’s an intelligent, scientific man and I have voted for him in the past.


My vote is going to go for John Laird however. The campaign Blakeslee is waging demeans his own

character. Maybe running for office ruins many at some point, I don’t know.


I just know that Sam’s campaign is going low while John’s campaign is running on the issues.


It’s just not “sustainable” to vote for politics as usual any more.


Sam, clean it up and the next time you run, you’ll have my consideration again.


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Let’s hope for an honest campaign from all the candidates and a large turnout so we get good representation in Sacto. Do some digging and don’t just vote the party line, pick the best person.


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Dog. When I’m done digging my hole can I bury all the candidates in it?


Seriously though, I agree no matter which side it is dishearting our turnout in this county and country, for elections.


I think the one last week in the county was around 40%?? That says more people didn’t vote than did. To bad. There are many good men laying in Arlington who made sure we had the chance.


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