(Updated with some important quotes below. – promoted by Robert in Monterey)

Earlier this week we brought you the news that Democrat Dennis Morris is running a write-in campaign to get on the November ballot in SD-15, as no other Democrat had stepped up to challenge Republican Abel Maldonado.

Today we learn that the rumors were true – in order to prevent voters from having a choice in November, and so that he doesn’t have to defend his right-wing voting record, Abel Maldonado has filed as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary in an attempt to keep Dennis Morris off the November ballot. If Maldonado gets more write-in votes than Morris, Abel Maldonado will be both the Republican AND the Democratic nominee in November – even though Maldonado is a self-identified Republican, even though local Democrats have endorsed Morris.

This is a practice known as “crossfiling” and used to be common in California from 1911 until it was outlawed in 1954. Republicans like Earl Warren used to file as a candidate in both party primaries, win both the nominations, and face no November opposition. But when the practice was outlawed in 1954, a loophole remained that allowed an incumbent from one party to file as a write-in candidate from the other. It has been rarely used, but Abel Maldonado, in a Soviet Politburo style move, has employed it to deny Central Coast voters a choice in the November election.

What is Maldonado afraid of? Why doesn’t he want to defend his record in a general election campaign? Is he worried that voters might discover he voted against AB 32? Or that his “moderate” reputation is a sham, as he rated a conservative 20 on the Capitol Weekly’s legislator scorecard?

Whatever the reason, the result is clear – Abel Maldonado is trying to deny his constituents a choice in the November election. It may be a legal loophole, but it is an undemocratic practice. Maldonado should be ashamed of himself, and his effort to block democracy on the Central Coast is an outrage.

It should also motivate Democrats across the state to stand up for Dennis Morris. If we are serious about a 58-county strategy, about making a push for 2/3, we need to help Dennis Morris fend off this undemocratic attack. Contact the Monterey County Democrats or the San Luis Obispo County Democrats to learn more about how you can help Dennis Morris defeat Maldonado’s dirty trick, and give voters a real choice in November.

[UPDATE by Robert] Shane Goldmacher picks up on this at the Capitol Alert and adds some key quotes, showing how important it is that Morris become the Democratic nominee:

Jim Battin, a Republican colleague of Maldonado’s in the state Senate, also saw a “strategic reason” to avoid having a Democrat on the ballot: saving money in the fall.

Maldonado represents the most Democratic-leaning Senate seat held by a Republican, with Democrats holding a four-point registration advantage (40 percent to 36 percent).

That means Morris’ simple presence on the November ballot with the label “Democrat” next to his name would likely force Maldonado to actively campaign in a district that includes all or parts of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

Maldonado is sitting on nearly a million dollars in his campaign account, and the more of that we force him to spend here on the Central Coast, the better off other Democratic challengers will be. If there is anyone in California who thought this was just a fight on the Central Coast, they’re now quite mistaken. It’s now part of the  statewide battle for control of the legislature – and hopefully Dems in other parts of the state will be willing to step up to help.

Also, Goldmacher notes that this write-in crossfiling tactic has been employed before, including by Democrats such as Jack O’Connell. Speaking only for myself, I do not support the practice, and believe the law should be changed to prevent it from happening in the future. Unless, that is, Republicans now support open primaries…