1) A veto-proof, 2/3 Democratic Majority in the Legislature spells the ruin of California.

2) Legislative leaders in Sacrmento don’t trust the County party organizations to get the job done.

David Dayen reports in California Progress that, “Each of the marquee races are expected to be $1 million+ contests. The new Assembly Speaker will be responsible for raising funds and overseeing the campaigns.” Dayen goes on to question why

the Speaker (and the President Pro Tem of the Senate) have the sole responsibility of overseeing these elections and creating advertising, GOTV, etc. It seems…that the California Democratic Party would be able to do a much better job in these districts, with their membership already on the ground and involved, and with a larger fundraising base to conduct the operations necessary. Yet for some reason, there is this bifurcation: the CDP deals with statewide races and Congressional seats, and the Assembly and Senate leadership do the legislative races. Is this just tradition? Why can’t the CDP play in whatever race they wish?

On the Republican side, in addition to losing Pombo’s 11th Congressional seat, AD-15’s strong Republican registration lead has slipped into coin-toss territory thanks to the leadership of Tom Del Beccaro, chair of the County’s Republican Central Committee. Across the aisle, Nagaraja Rao, who seems to spend more time outside the country than in it is under fire by party members and the public for raising false alarms over sham death threats and ham-fisted support of Maria Alegria during the recent Pinole Recall campaign.

If the current Contra Costa County Democratic and Republican Central Committees responsible for election results in AD-15 are any indication, it is no wonder that legislative party leaders Nunez and Perata in Sacramento want to run the show to make sure some incompetent petty fiefdom doesn’t get in the way and botch the job.