Gary, my husband, got a sample copy of the OC Register this Sunday and we were quite happy to see two Democratic Candidates along side the four Republican primary candidates for the 70th Assembley district race.   How often does that happen?

It doesn’t really, unless there is a primary.  This is the new reality for Democrats in Orange County and why primaries matter.

Candidates crowd Assembly field to replace DeVore

Melissa Fox

The Democratic side of the draw features two Lake Forest attorneys – a former Kansas state legislator running a low-key bid and a first-time candidate who’s been aggressively campaigning for the past year.

Both return-candidate Michael Glover and newcomer Melissa Fox say they can upset the GOP nominee. Fox points out that Barack Obama beat John McCain in the district in 2008, that a ballot measure calling for parental notification for abortions failed in the district, and that the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage passed in the district by less than a percentage point.

“The seat is not as far away as it might seem,” said Fox, an Orange County native.

The two candidates offer few distinctions on policy, and both acknowledge that an ability to appeal to Republicans and unaffiliated voters is key. Fox, 42, has outworked Glover on the campaign trail – knocking on voters’ doors, raising money and building the kind of relationships that have resulted in endorsements from the California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, California Federation of Teachers, California National Organization for Women, and Equality California, among many others.

Michael Glover

Glover, who fell 16 percentage points short of defeating DeVore in 2008, acknowledges Fox’s advantage among establishment Democrats

“Maybe I made a mistake by not getting to know more Democrats,” he said

But he has some of the most specific policy positions in the race – including the legalization and taxation of marijuana – and he has the experience of serving from 1973 to 1980 in the Kansas Legislature.

“I’m running because I’m the best qualified candidate,” said Glover, 62. “When I get to Sacramento, I know how the sausage is made.”

You see, it’s compelling!  And it means OC Register readers see that Democratic candidates exist and they are running in primaries and that we want these seats too.  That it’s not a one party system Orange County anymore.

Why is that good for not just Democrats?  That means Republicans have to debate their ideas, they have to define themselves and hopefully that means they have to become a bit more moderate if they win.   Orange County has over 500,000 Democrats as well as many Declined to State voters who are also their constituents.  Primaries matter.

And this Primary matters a great deal to not only to me, but to Orange County Democrats.  I’ve been pretty clear about who I support and I’m voting for Melissa Fox.    And I believe that Michael Glover also has every right to run, it’s obvious this primary has been good for us.  But when it comes to game time, to the general election, is Glover going to run as hard as Melissa Fox has in the Primary?

Melissa has garnered endorsements, not just a few but a lot, endorsements  you have to WORK hard for.   I’ve watched her run from meeting to meeting, luncheon and dinner, I’ve seen her work a room like a candidate but also like someone who really cares about what she does.  Melissa has a way of making every single person she meets feel important and part of her mission, which should be every Orange County Democrats goal, to be heard in Sacramento.

Melissa Fox reaches out to every constituency, small and large and makes it a point to learn about all the issues.  She came to Oak Grove Elementary School and walked the picket lines with our teachers and listened to what they had to say about the CUSD issues, all of which would cover the 70th AD.  Melissa is engaged and inquisitive and most of all, she’s positive, her energy level is obscene, I’ve witnessed her outrun everyone in her team and just keep going.  This is who I want representing me in Sacramento, this is who I want representing me as a Democrat on the ballot in November.

It can’t be about just knowing how the sausage is made.  We’ve got lots of  people in Sacramento representing us now, who know a lot about making knackwurst and all the other kind of stuffed goodies, but that’s not really gotten us very far, has it?  The only way things can change is we have a two-thirds majority in the Assembly and the Senate.

The last thing we need is someone running a “low-key bid” in the general election.

It’s about making sure that the things that work get funded and the things that don’t work get re-examined.  And I want someone who is willing to work and learn and who will run in the General election like they’ve been running in the Primary.  For me, that’s Melissa Fox.

Here is a campaign video that Melissa Fox for Assembly put together, take a look.  And most important, vote this primary, please.  Primaries MATTER!

And, here is Melissa’s website if you want to learn more.