California made two valuable electoral changes in 2012: the top-two primary and a new model for term limits.
A key goal of top-two is to elect more moderates to what has become a rigidly partisan Legislature. Allowing senators and Assembly members to stay put for up to 12 years is an incentive for lawmakers to focus on policymaking instead of continuously scouting for the next office.
It's too soon to assess the results of these reforms, but voters in the North Bay have a front-row seat to an early test.
Two years ago, voters in the 10th Assembly District elected Marc Levine of San Rafael. He finished second in the primary to fellow Democrat Michael Allen. Prior to 2012, the election would have been decided right there. With voter registration overwhelmingly favoring Democrats, Allen would have coasted to re-election.
With top-two, a second-place finish in the primary put Levine on the November ballot and set the stage for what became one of the most hotly contested races in the state. Running to the middle, courting independents and even Republicans, as well as Democrats, Levine defeated Allen.
Levine's upset victory didn't ingratiate him with party insiders, a fact underscored by his well-funded challengers in this year's primary. Democrats Erin Carlstrom and Diana Conti are local officeholders with close ties to the Democratic establishment. But there isn't any shortage of insiders in Sacramento — in either party.
What's too frequently lacking is across-the-aisle cooperation on state finances, public education and other issues that instead become fodder for the special-interest fundraising that drives legislative campaigns.
In many ways, Levine is still defining himself and finding his place in the Legislature, which would have been considerably harder under the rigid six-year term limit for Assembly members that voters replaced, beginning with the 2012 election.
Still, during his 18 months in office, Levine has generally reflected his affluent, left-leaning district. He has a 92 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters and 42 percent from the state Chamber of Commerce. He secured approval of legislation to expand online course offerings for college students and to place warning labels on medications that can impair drivers. He is pursuing the expanded use of treated wastewater for pasture animals.
Given the political profile of the 10th District, there's a good chance that the June 3 primary will produce a general election contest between Levine and a fellow Democrat, either Carlstrom or Conti.
Carlstrom, a first-term member of the Santa Rosa City Council, is a bright, young attorney. She talks about a wide array of issues including reforming the three strikes and mandatory minimum sentencing laws and establishing single-payer health care in California. But she offers few details and, during a meeting with the editorial board, she couldn't articulate how a single-payer system — a huge undertaking for any state — should be financed.
Conti has an impressive record as a CEO in the nonprofit sector, and she's widely respected for her work as a College of Marin trustee. But her primary motivation for running seems to be her disapproval of Levine, a sentiment she shares with Carlstrom and much of the North Bay's Democratic establishment.
If the Democratic vote gets carved up in the primary, Republican Gregory Allen could qualify for the general election. An executive recruiter, Allen said he's running to protect Proposition 13 and veterans' interests. However, we were disappointed that he was unaware of Proposition 41, a veterans bond on the June 3 ballot.
As Levine is the incumbent, and because of his upset victory in 2012, this election is shaping up as a referendum on his first term. His opponents haven't made a strong case against him, and The Press Democrat recommends Marc Levine in the 10th Assembly District.
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