Whether by choice or not, Steve Glazer, candidate for the Senate District 7 seat in tomorrow’s special election, is a symbol of change. His election could alter the face of California politics from the expected — Democratic candidates following in lock step with the party’s strongest influencers and financial backers — to electing more independent candidates.
Let’s be clear that Glazer, the mayor of Orinda, is a long time loyal Democrat. His one vote in the Senate will not change the general direction that body takes on issues. However, his independent streak would be welcome under the capitol dome.
While the public unions, with their great influence over elected Democrats, argue that supporting the unions is supporting “working people,” Glazer has a broader, more judicious view of who working people are as displayed by his opposition to BART strikes in the Bay Area that prevented working people from getting to their jobs.
Glazer has been cast as a fiscal conservative in the race, a relative term to be certain. He has been hard and vocal on some of my positions on tax issues over the years but in some tax and spend issues we agree. Just as he has been loyal to Governor Brown over the years but has expressed concern for the governor’s high-speed rail pet project. In other words, he is hard to categorize.
Putting the policy issues aside, the focus of this contest revolves around the question whether Glazer’s election can bring a change to the status quo of California politics?
If Glazer wins he opens up the possibility of others challenging the expected political patterns of the state’s politics in quest for improved governance. He has the potential to change politics in the state. That’s why this race has attracted so much attention — and rightly so.
Millions of dollars have come in to support or oppose both candidates, Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla and Glazer, to either preserve or disrupt the existing state of affairs.
Outside groups have dominated the contact with voters, overshadowing the campaigns of the candidates themselves. Much of the outside efforts are of dubious quality. For example, the unions stretching political rhetoric to the breaking point trying to paint Glazer as a lackey for the oil companies or the Koch brothers in hopes of stirring up Democratic Party followers.
The voters in Senate District 7 are too sophisticated for these tricks.
While much carping has been made about the amount of money being spent on the race it must be understood the potential importance in the outcome. In the land of earthquakes, a political upheaval could be recorded tomorrow night in Senate District 7.