Senator Brownrigg?

Our very own city councilman, Michael Brownrigg, has put out word that he will run for Jerry Hill's seat in 2020.  Jerry is termed out so the chance to run for an open seat has Michael's attention--probably along with our current Assemblyman, Kevin Mullin of the South City Mullin clan.  I have always believed in getting a head-start on these sorts of efforts and Michael has given himself plenty of runway to raise money and garner endorsements.  His opening foray of a platform reads

The issues I look forward to discussing with SD13 residents in the months ahead revolve around how we keep “the promise that is California.” I was born and raised on the Peninsula and am raising my family here, as you know. I believe our region and the state as a whole are beacons for many: we show the country and the world what a just, inclusive and prosperous American community looks like. But some of the promises we grew up with are fraying, whether it is the promise of affordable housing options, good public schools, accessible open space, sustainable State finances, or decent public transportation options. Those issues need to be addressed so we don’t see all that we have worked for crumble beneath us.

I could (and have) quibbled with the idea that there is a "promise" of affordable housing--not sure who or where that promise was made, but it's sort of a litmus test for winning elections in the Bay Area right now.  I just hope higher aspirations aren't part of the decision to abandon our city parking lot for "affordable housing" that discriminates against those who don't quite make the cut to get in.

If the choice does come down to Mullin vs. Brownrigg I think that is an easy decision based on Michael's skills, approachable nature and experience.  Mullin is known for a wide variety of bad ideas that we can get into if he throws his hat in the ring.  We'll see who else is attracted to that open seat and a chance to skip straight to the State Senate.

Comments

[resident]

Won't Terry Nagel just mess her pants over this news?

[Just Visiting]

Mullin will have four years left in his total available time in the legislature (limited to 12 years by law) and so far there is zero indication that he has any interest in losing his #2 position in the Assembly to run for the Senate.
Candidates for the senate seat (other than Brownrigg) include: Redwood City Councilwoman Shelly Masur and former Assemblymember Sally Lieber. Rumored to be looking at it are Josh Becker, venture capitalist and CEO, and Palo Alto Mayor Greg Scharff.

[Joe]

Thanks, JV. Excellent input. After the post went up, Masur's and Becker's names surfaced locally. Had not heard about Lieber or Scharff. Not sure if several of these folks can raise the $750K-$1M+ that it will take.

[Mom]

Thank God for term limits.

[Joe]

Here are some fundraising updates on the state senate race from Tuesday's Daily Post. Our Michael Brownrigg is in second place behind Josh Becker who has nearly doubled him with $351K. Becker's donors include CEOs, Presidents and VPs of Linked-in, Xapo, StubHub/eBay, GitHub, Minted, Facebook, and a variety of other VCs. Many of Brownrigg's donors are described as "family or wealthy families that donate money to education and other public services". He's raised $195K including a personal loan of $50K. The only two locals listed are JSR Karp LP (i.e. Joe, Steve and Ron Karp) and Kent Putnam. In the interest of full disclosure, my wife Cathy also made a donation.

The two other candidates are Shelly Masur ($46K) and Sally Lieber ($102K including $101K of her own money).

Money isn't quite anything..close but not everything. Michael has elected official experience which Becker does not have despite a number of attempts. For me the issue will be how two dedicated Dems differentiate themselves i.e. who will break from the orthodoxy de jour.

[Joe]

I'm posting this link to Sue Lempert's "interview" with Josh Becker more for completeness than anything else since you won't learn a thing about his positions on anything to do with holding a State Senate seat.......

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/opinion/columnists/josh-becker-candidate-for-california-senate/article_1b450790-4e8d-11e9-86ae-df287e1243db.html

[Bruce Dickinson]

Sometimes Bruce Dickinson has to cringe when he is right. Yes, here is a perfect example of local media having such poor journalistic standards, as I alluded to the other day. In addition to the Lampert piece not really being an interview and more like a bio paragraph, the writer's writing style is nothing short of cringeworthy with poor word choices, disjointed bursts, and non-flowing sentences.

We have far far far far far better talent on the BV's editorial board, and of course, from people like yours truly. And we're not talking just content, but also the "poetry" if ya know what I mean?!?

What can I say, except "you're welcome"!?

[hollyroller@gmail.com]

I have perused Sue Lempert's columns a few times in the last years.
I find it hard to believe that anyone would take comments by SL seriously.
Come on everyone, stop being so sensitive.
We are all thinking it, I guess I have to say it...
Look at the Lady.
The photo printed is the same one from Decades ago.
How anyone of you would take this women's political POV seriously is just Stupid.
If she had some advice regarding Geraniums, that is something I would take note of.

[Steve Kassel]

There is ZERO chance I would ever vote for the ultra-left Josh Becker. ZERO.

[hollyroller@gmail.com]

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, STOP THE CLOCK..
Steve O' Reno,what are you commenting on?

[Steve Kassel]

Hollyroller, reading is fundamental. That includes reading other posts just a few days earlier in the thread.

[hollyroller@gmail.com]

Thank you for the direction.

[Joe]

The field of candidates for State Senate has grown by one and from the sounds of it, the newest candidate represents a real difference from most of the existing field. In an email from the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), we learn:

In the campaign to replace Senator Jerry Hill, who will be leaving office next year, due to term limits, one of our most vocal and visible property rights champions has entered the race. Annie Oliva is currently a councilmember in Millbrae, having served as Mayor in 2017.

Although her city of Millbrae was not one of the cities that was forced to fight a massive Rent Control battle in the past few years, she stepped-up and served as a leader, contributor, and fundraiser of our efforts to defeat Measure Q in San Mateo, Measure R in Burlingame, and Measure C in Pacifica.

She will be holding her campaign Kick-Off next Thursday, April 25th from 5pm to 8pm at the Coyote Point Yacht Club.

[Joe]

Josh Becker has announced that he has corralled the Gavinor's endorsement for State Senate. The hill climb for Brownrigg and Oliva and the other two just got steeper.

[Joe]

The Daily Post is reporting that Josh Becker has secured an endorsement from the Teamsters Joint Council 7 that apparently has some local units even though they are located in SF (i.e. out of district). The Post also notes Shelly Masur has a half dozen smaller, local union endorsements from teachers, sprinkler fitters, carpenters and the like.

Not sure how much all that will matter once the big money starts getting spent on mailers. The Newsom backing may be the most impactful. You do have to wonder why he would endorse someone for Senate who has held zero public office seats?

[resident]

We dodged a bullet with this guy.

Editor,

Several recent letters have criticized the FBI for forcefully retrieving Top Secret documents from Donald Trump’s home. This is why it matters, no matter your party.

Most U.S. government documents are unclassified, available to anyone. However, to protect national or domestic security, some messages are given ascending classification: Confidential, Secret or Top Secret. Think of these as horizontal layers of sensitivity. If you are cleared for Secret, you are allowed to see any Secret government document.

Once you get to Top Secret, however, the information is broken into vertical programs with codewords, e.g. “Top Secret/Bombastic Menace,” for which you require that specific codeword clearance to read. In these cases, even the existence of the program and its codeword is highly sensitive, let alone the document’s content. And with respect to Top Secret content, very often the source of such information would be readily identifiable to the foreign government if they knew it existed.

For all we know, there may be highly placed sources around the world who are either dead or in jail because Donald Trump decided to store Top Secret/Codeword materials where anyone with a bolt cutter could photograph them.

If you have never asked someone to betray their country so that ours can be safer, if you have never been in law enforcement and asked someone to be a snitch among dangerous people, then this may seem like petty politics to you. But for those of us who have done that — so that you can live and opine in freedom — I hope you might understand that national security is a dangerous job, not made easier when leaders or citizens undercut those trying to do it.

Michael Brownrigg

Burlingame

The writer is a former U.S. diplomat, once cleared for Top Secret/Codeword information