In a political landscape dominated by Democrats, the California business community looks for members of the majority party who will work with them—especially if the Democrats can secure the important two-thirds vote majority. The Democrats are close. They took two-thirds in the Assembly. One contested seat in the senate will determine whether the Democrats gain a two-thirds supermajority in that chamber.
Marty Wilson, executive vice-president of public affairs for the California Chamber of Commerce who oversees the Chamber’s political arm, JobsPAC, said results in this election for the business community was “a mixed bag.” Wilson was pleased, for example, that Bill Dodd won Senate District 3 and that former Assembly member Raul Bocenegra, who has a reputation of being open to business concerns, is returning to the legislature. However, he was disappointed that Assembly Member Cheryl Brown was defeated.
In a brief on the election results to Chamber members Wilson explained the business organization’s involvement in elections featuring two Democrats: “Promoting moderate or business-friendly Democrats has helped the employer community fight off the job killing impulses of the labor-backed progressive legislative agenda.”
Wilson thinks the senate will be a bit more business friendly than the assembly, which lost three sitting pro-business Republicans if Election Day finishes stand up, Eric Linder, Young Kim and David Hadley.
Tom Scott, head of the National Federation of Independent Business/California said, “While we are deeply concerned by the prospect of a 2/3 supermajority one-party rule in the Assembly and possibly the Senate–we remain cautiously optimistic that the next class of legislators is willing and prepared to hear the concerns of small business as we take up very important public policy issues next year. Only time will tell if a handful of Democrats choose to listen to small business and ultimately vote to protect our vulnerable job creators in this state.”
Even if the Democrats secure the two-thirds in both houses that doesn’t mean business will be subject to an onslaught of new taxes, Wilson argued. “The Democratic Party is not a monolith,” he said.