Updated: Attention SD 3 watchers and Sonoma apartment seekers, the link below has been removed, but a new listing can be found here.
Cross-posted on the California Majority Report.
When former Assemblymember Joe Nation entered the Senate District 3 primary back in February, he acknowledged that “it’s late to be getting in in some respects,” and the race “will be a sprint.” Scrambling together a last minute campaign is no doubt tough work, and it’s not surprising to see short cuts taken. But when those short cuts seem to include violations of state residency requirements, in a region with a torrid history of residency violations, voters should be concerned.
In papers filed with the state, Nation claims to live in a sparsely adorned apartment at 126 Tuscany Place in Sonoma. According to state election law, “A person does not gain a domicile in any precinct into which he or she comes for temporary purposes merely, without the intention of making that precinct his or her home.” The law seems clear: Nation should intend to live in the apartment he claims to currently live in. However, Nation’s apartment is listed for rent on Craigslist, and when asked about the property’s availability, the property manager said the apartment will be available in “mid-June,” possibly while Joe recuperates in Hawaii following less than four months of campaigning.
It would appear that Nation is in violation of state residency laws, which begs a few questions that he should feel compelled to answer: Since the apartment is rather spartan, is it really his primary residence? If not, where is he staying? Since the property will be vacated by mid-June, where and why does he intend to move his domicile? Does Nation even plan on staying in the district if he loses the race? Residents of Senate District 3 deserve answers to these questions, and they need them soon.
