Mandate? We saw it in our Stanislaus County elections
A few votes are still being counted, but the results we’ve gotten so far from Tuesday’s election make one thing abundantly clear: As voters, Stanislaus County residents might be more comfortable living in Kansas than California.
That’s not a slam, just a reflection of the results. Voters across America, especially in the Midwest, chose Republicans over Democrats last Tuesday. That’s exactly what Stanislaus voters did, too. Of seven statewide offices, Stanislaus voters chose exactly one Democrat – Jerry Brown – and six Republicans.
Our entire state, meanwhile, was unanimous in choosing Democrats. Secretary of state, controller, treasurer – all Democrats, despite the fact that Republicans offered some strong alternatives. That those stronger Republicans never had a chance probably had more to do with the (R) designation on the ballot than their qualifications.
How many people could have even identified the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor before making a mark next to his name? Regardless, 54 percent of Stanislaus voters picked him, figuring he could carry out the duties of a meaningless office better than the Democrat.
Treasurer John Chiang was the most popular Democrat in Stanislaus County after Brown. But even Chiang lost by more than 1,500 votes to Greg Conlon; statewide, Chiang won by 15 percentage points.
That preference for Republicans was helpful for many local incumbents. Republican Jeff Denham (56.5 percent) was the overwhelming choice over Michael Eggman for the 10th Congressional District. State Sen. Tom Berryhill crushed Paulina Miranda, and Sen. Anthony Cannella had an entirely comfortable victory over Shawn Bagley. Kristin Olsen, who now chairs the Assembly’s Republican caucus, got 66 percent of the vote.
The lone exception to the trend came in the suddenly muddy race for the 21st Assembly District, where Democrat Adam Gray outpolled Republican Jack Mobley by 13 percentage points in Stanislaus County and 7 percent in Merced County.
What does Stanislaus County’s preference for Republicans mean in Sacramento? Nothing. It’s a footnote.
But looking at local results, we see something important. Voters here gave a rousing stamp of approval to all of their representatives. It was nothing short of a mandate.
Nationally, that word is not in vogue. But it fits in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
Our “Valley caucus” – Olsen, Cannella, Gray, Berryhill and Cathleen Galgiani (who was not up for re-election) – have become adept at working together to push through legislation that benefits the region, and voters have noticed. Yes, the caucus disagrees on many issues (guns, unions, living wages), but those issues have no more impact here than they do anywhere else. On the issues that do matter here – issues that directly affect the lives our residents – this group has been almost in lockstep. And that has allowed them to get results.
Voters have noticed.
Take Gray’s race: It’s clear that many of those who picked Republicans for every state office also voted for Democrat Gray for Assembly. Those voters, we believe, have seen the value in electing legislators who work well with others – even those of the opposing party. They rewarded it with their votes.
That’s how you get a mandate.
So, while others across the nation reject the “mandate” label, we embrace it. And we want our legislators to embrace it, too. They have a mandate to watch out for our best interests. To protect the water that our lives depend on, to find the jobs we so desperately need, to make sure our children are safe and well educated. It doesn’t matter if they disagree on the other stuff, as long as they remain united on what’s important.
Congratulations to all. And welcome to Kansas.
This story was originally published November 7, 2014 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Mandate? We saw it in our Stanislaus County elections."