Bee Editorial Board vs. Lincoln Club
One of my election-day blogging traditions is to track how The Bee's and the Fresno County Lincoln Club's recommendations fare at the ballot box.
Keeping tabs should be easy today because The Bee's Editorial Board -- which has a reputation for leaning to the left -- agrees with the proudly conservative Lincoln Club on the Fresno City Council races.
Both organizations are recommending Republicans Andreas Borgeas (District 2), Larry Westerlund (District 4) and Lee Brand (District 6) for the nonpartisan City Council positions.
Tracking also is simplified by the fact that the Lincoln Club didn't recommend in the two contested Fresno County supervisorial races.
In the down and dirty District 5 race, neither Debbie Poochigian nor Nathan Magsig garnered a supermajority of Lincoln Club board member votes needed for the group's kiss of approval. That was to be expected. The last thing the Lincoln Club wants to do is to take sides in a race pitting conservative Republicans against each other.
And in the District 2 supervisorial race pitting moderate Republican incumbent Susan B. Anderson against terming-out Fresno City Council Member Brian Calhoun, who declines to state his party affiliation, and accountant Paul Dictos, a conservative Republican, the Lincoln Club stayed out of the fray.
The reason?
According to club president Mike Der Manouel Jr., the group didn't think it could have an impact on the District 2 race and preferred to spend its dollars hammering away at mayoral candidate Henry T. Perea.
The Bee Editorial Board, for the record, recommended Magsig and Anderson.
As for the mayoral race, The Bee recommends Ashley Swearengin, a moderate Republican, and the Lincoln Club backs Jerry Duncan, a conservative Republican who has run an almost invisible campaign. Look for the club, however, to put its money behind Swearengin if she and Perea make it out of the primary.
In the lone judge race, The Lincoln Club is backing lawyer Glenn LoStracco, the only Republican in the four-candidate field, while The Bee recommends Douglas Treisman, a deputy district attorney and a Democrat.
On the competing eminent domain propositions, The Bee gives a thumbs-up to Prop. 99, and the Lincoln
Club prefers Prop. 98. Thanks to reader Mike D. for pointing out that my original post had their recommendations reversed!
We'll see how things shake out tonight.
Disclosure: I am not a member of The Bee's Editorial Board, although I sometimes sit in on the board's interviews with candidates. The Bee's newsroom and Editorial Board are separate entities.
Comments:
I think you got the propositions backward. 98 is the landlord-backed initiative, which sensible people everywhere are opposing. 99 is the counter-measure sponsored by California cities and counties.
I voted for Swearingen in the primary, but I may have to reconsider if she gets the Lincoln Club's nod.
Posted by: Mike D. at June 3, 2008 4:43 PM
Duncan is far and away the best candidate for the job. The Lincoln club had it right. It is unfortunate his campaign was so quite. I am scared of the leading candidates as they are nothing but corporate and union mouthpieces and will hurt this fine city.
Posted by: Richard at June 3, 2008 4:58 PM
Richard is absolutely RIGHT! Jerry Duncan is the best, fiscally prudent and conservative candidate by far. His 7.5 years voting record and initiatives brought to Council have always been in the best interest for Fresno citizens,the City's budget and business. He is not just a guy with a title, but works to resolve problems.
For an example of "getting to work", what other candidate visited every single Fresno fire station, collected information and photos, then brought the report to Council to have the stations rehabilitated with improved structure, furniture and appliances. He also found a way for a significant fire dept. budget increase (more fire fighters), that had been lacking for many years. Yep, there's no big money bags and media hype with Jerry, just honest leadership. Thank you.
Posted by: Rosalyn at June 3, 2008 6:49 PM
Rosalyn,
Thanks for your comments.
Even though Jerry Duncan is the firefighters' best friend on the City Council, the Fresno Firefighters Association endorsed Henry T. Perea for mayor.
The endorsement was typical of municipal and state politics. While many police and firefighters are conservative individually, their unions typically back liberal politicians.
Posted by: Bill McEwen at June 3, 2008 7:46 PM
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