Three GOP 2008 Republican AD-15 primary challengers have announced their support for Abram Wilson, who recently announced his 2010 campaign after losing narrowly to Joan Buchanan who benfited greatly from Obama coattails.
Robert Rao of Livermore, Judy Lloyd of Danville, and Scott Kamena of Livermore have each thrown their support to the San Ramon Mayor. According to the Wilson campaign’s press release,
“We need someone in Sacramento who knows how to promote businesses and jobs,” said business leader Robert Rao. “I believe Abram Wilson will fight for a balanced budget without tax increases, and that will help small businesses create new jobs. Joan Buchanan has lead the charge for just the opposite – trying to balance the budget on the backs of hard working taxpayers and business owners. For me, the choice is crystal clear.”
Livermore Parks & Recreation District Director Scott Kamena added: “There is no substitute for experience in public office. Mayor Wilson understands how government works and what it’s like to balance a budget. I wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy.”
Judy Lloyd, owner of Altamont Solutions of Pleasanton, stated: “All of us learned first hand of the respect that Mayor Wilson has in the San Ramon Valley and throughout the State. He is our strongest candidate in Assembly District 15 and I’ve committed to do everything I can to help him become our next Assembly member.”
The 15th Assembly District is among the top targeted legislative districts in California. The incumbent Assembly member, Joan Buchanan, has decided to run for Congress in the 10th District.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Wait and see. That’s fair and prudent. There’s no denying Wilson needs to earn his support.
BGR,
This was a race everyone expected Wilson to win. He choked badly. I believe thinking Republicans should wait and hear this new Wilson out and hope and that he gets a primary opponet so we voters can have a choice. Just saying that Obama’s coat tails are not long enough and that Buchanan did not win by a big enough margin does not cut it. Guy Houston won the seat by 5 points in 2002 and by 11 points in 2004. If she stays in office she is the favorite to win in 2010.
The local Republican intelligencia that is lining up behind Wilson has had it wrong enough times to give me pause.
I will wait and watch.
The facts are these: Buchanan beat Wilson in 2008 by a margin of 52.9 to 47.1
Wilson got 10 pts more than McCain did in California. Buchanan should have won by 20 pts not 5.
Even left leaning sites admit Buchanan benefited from Obama coat tails
http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?aid=3881&func=display&module=articles&ptid=9
Buchanan would most likely have been defeated if not for Obama is a reasonable conclusion.
Wilson lost because he had a horrible staff and no real theme or message. He didn’t reach out to independents or NPA’s. He ran a cookie cutter republican campaign, with no field effort and that isn’t enough in a district like AD-15.
I want to say that Mr. Wilson is a fine man and good leader and anyone who says differently doesn’t know the man or the work he has done in San Ramon.
BGR… “Benifited from Obamas coat tails??” Did you ever notice that the registration in this district has flipped to the Democrats. This happened before election day in 2008. It was 3% democrat on election dand now it is 4.3 percent according to the Calif. Sec. of state. If the trend continures this will be a much harder seat for the GOP to win back on election day 2010. As one of your writers apply noted. Wilson was the last best hope of the local GOP in 2008. In oher words he was last years story.
I will give Wilson credit for getting this disperate and disfunctional band of former oppoents to endorse him. But that is not unexpected since after the 2008 primary they are either broke or their supporters don’t want to throw good money after bad anymore. (They can do that in the stockmarket.) I see where Wilson is meeting with the Tea Party people today…… Oh boy that will be interesting. I wonder if he will use his we are all family speech….
Wilson failed last time because he was lazy and the trend in the East Bay is with the Democrats. I want to see if he gets it this time.
Someone please step up and run against him and lets see if he can get off the mat!