Vol. XV, No. 9
March 8, 2002

MCCLINTOCK-WESTLY FACE OFF; BOE PROVES IT’S NO POLITICAL LAUNCHING PAD

The November race for state controller pits a dot-com millionaire from Atherton, Democrat Steve Westly, versus a veteran state legislator from Ventura County, Republican Tom McClintock.

They scored relatively easy primary election victories March 5 against termed-out members of the State Board of Equalization: Democrat Johan Klehs of Castro Valley and Republican Dean Andal of Stockton.

The outcome, a 57 percent victory for Mr. Westly in the two-man race, and a 46 percent win for Mr. McClintock in a four-person primary (Mr. Andal getting 35 percent) validates conventional wisdom that election to the BOE is a political graveyard. Since World War II, and probably before that, only one BOE member has gone on to a higher office, Matt Fong’s election to state treasurer in 1994.

That won’t stop them from trying, however.

Democrat Carole Migden of San Francisco, termed out of the Assembly where she has been powerful Appropriations Committee chair, is known to have her eyes on higher office – either the state Senate or San Francisco mayor, for starters – as she prepares for a four-year term on the BOE. She’d have a free ride in the 2003 mayor’s race, and a San Francisco seat in the state Senate opens up in 2004.

There will be an election in November, of course, but, barring a major upset, the District One seat is considered the property of the Democratic nominee, and Ms. Migden was unopposed in her party primary. The Republican opponent in November is Mark Bendick, a corporation tax manager who outpolled Max Woods, a trolley worker who admitted to the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board that he did not even know what the BOE does. Mr. Woods did get 44 percent of the vote, however.

In BOE District Two, veteran state legislator Bill Leonard of San Bernardino County is the Republican nominee, beating anti-tax advocate Ted Costa of Sacramento, 60 percent to 40 percent. The underdog in November in this Republican-leaning district is Tom Y. Santos, a Sacramento tax consultant, who beat Norman Angelo, a retired board auditor from Bakersfield, 55 percent to 45 percent.

District Three’s incumbent Republican Claude Parrish of Rancho Palos Verdes was nominated with 64 percent of the vote against two unknown rivals and should be heavily favored to win his second term on the board. The Democrat nominee is Mary Christian-Heising, a perennial candidate from La Jolla.

District Four’s Democrat incumbent, John Chiang, was unopposed in the primary in this heavily Democratic district. Glen R. Forsch is the Republican nominee, having run unopposed.

Barring a monumental upset, the board after November’s election will have two Republicans and two Democrats. The controller is the fifth vote on the BOE, so either Mr. Westly or Mr. McClintock will be in a position to break any partisan impasse among the four board members.