State, federal races take shape: Eight candidates vie in three races to represent the North Coast - ContraCostaTimes.
com 6/10/10 12:06 PM
State, federal races take
shape: Eight candidates
vie in three races to
represent the North Coast
Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard
Posted: 06/10/2010 02:32:39 AM PDT
Updated: 06/10/2010 02:37:15 AM PDT
Ladies and gentlemen, these are your candidates.
While much of the election night hubbub Tuesday
focused on local races and the hotly contested
Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate,
fields were also solidified for several races to
represent the North Coast at the federal and state
levels.
With roughly five months until Election Day in
November, here's a brief look at the races for
California's 1st Assembly District, the state's 2nd
Senate District and the 1st Congressional District.
U.S. Congress District 1
North Coast voters will have four candidates to
choose from in November, when deciding who they
would like to see represent them in Congress.
Incumbent Mike Thompson, who has held the post
since 1999, ran unopposed in the Democratic
primary and will be facing Mendocino Green Party
candidate Carol Wolman and San Jose Libertarian
Party candidate Mike Rodrigues -- both of whom
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also ran unopposed in the primary -- in November.
Rodrigues, who has a 30-year history in the private
sector, has been a Libertarian Party member since
1996 and failed in a 1998 bid to represent
California's 7th Assembly District.
Wolman, who has lived on the Mendocino coast
since 1980, is a psychiatrist and founder and co-
chair of a group seeking the impeachment of former
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick
Cheney. In 2006, Wolman challenged for
Thompson's seat as a write-in candidate, but was
unsuccessful.
The three candidates
will be joined by Republican Loren Hanks, who took
60 percent of the vote to beat out Fortunan Randy
Franck and take the Republican nomination.
Hanks, a 25-year veteran of the United States Air
Force from Vacaville, offered Republican voters a
stark contrast from Franck, a self-described “indoor
farmer” who, prior to announcing his candidacy,
was perhaps best known for a video on youtube.
com in which he goes by the name Angel Garcia,
proclaims himself “mayor of the Emerald Triangle”
and offers to give free marijuana to welfare mothers
who have a 215 recommendation.
Hanks, who has said he is running for Congress
because he believes irresponsible leadership is the
“gravest threat to America,” will now join Wolman
and Rodrigues in challenging Thompson, an
entrenched Democrat, in November.
State Senate District 2
And then there were two.
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State, federal races take shape: Eight candidates vie in three races to represent the North Coast - ContraCostaTimes.com 6/10/10 12:06 PM

the Arcata City Council, in the state senate and on

State Assemblywoman Noreen Evans emerged from a
crowded field of Democratic candidates Tuesday
night, all vying to win the party's nomination to run
for the 2nd District Senate seat currently held by
Patricia Wiggins.
Evans took 59 percent of the vote Tuesday --
including 50 percent in Humboldt County -- edging
out fellow challengers Tom Lynch, David Rosas and
Joanne Sanders.
Evans, who has served two terms in the Assembly,
will now square off with Santa Rosa Republican
Lawrence Wiesner in November.
the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
Brooks, on the other hand, has never held public
office and dubs herself the “citizen candidate.” A
30-year resident of Humboldt County, Brooks has
also been sharply critical of the Legislature, even
supporting an initiative to revert the lawmaking
body back to part-time status.
Chesbro and Brooks seem to agree on little, and
promise to offer voters a very distinct choice come
November.
Thadeus Greenson can be reached at 441-0509 or
tgreenson@times-standard.com.

Wiesner, who ran unopposed on the Republican

side, has owned his own business since 1986.
Wiesner has previously run unsuccessfully for the
state senate and Congress, in 2006 and 2004,
respectively.

State Assembly District 1

There were no surprises Tuesday night in the

California 1st District Assembly race, as two
candidates ran unopposed and walked to their
parties' nominations.

Incumbent Wesley Chesbro, who was elected to the

post in November 2008, was the only Democratic
candidate.

Arcata's Karen Brooks, spokeswoman for the

Humboldt County Tea Party Patriots, similarly ran
unopposed on the Republican side.

The two candidates promise to give voters quite a

contrast in November, as Chesbro was first elected
to public office in 1974, and has served stints on

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