State Senator Steve Glazer, a Democrat, and Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, a Republican, are seeking nomination in the June 7 primary for re-election in the General Election on Nov. 8. They have our endorsement.
All candidates running for these offices, regardless of the political party preference, will appear on a single combined ballot with voters able to choose any of the candidates. Those receiving the top two votes will move on to the General Election on Nov. 8, regardless of party affiliation.
In the State Senate race, Glazer is being challenged by Tyson “Guy” Moore, a Democrat and president of the Mt. Diablo Education Association, and Joseph A. Rubay, a Republican and real estate appraiser.
Baker is facing former Pleasanton City Councilwoman Cheryl Cook-Kallio, a Democrat and retired teacher.
First elected to the State Senate in a special election May 19, 2015, Glazer has proven to be a maverick centrist Democrat who proposes and votes on legislation based on issues, not party politics. Not surprisingly, unions and organizations steeped in Democratic Party affairs have opposed much of Glazer’s efforts. In fact, he has worked with Baker, who is wrapping up her first two years in the Assembly, to advance issues of mutual interest in both houses, with the two appearing together at meetings to challenge party orthodoxy.
They agree that the Legislature can be a very polarized place where political parties and special interests push elected leaders into corners and demand 100% allegiance to those interests. This is unhealthy and unproductive.
Both are determined to represent the people of their districts — the 7th Senate District for Glazer, the 16th Assembly District for Baker — not political parties or special interests. Likewise, they have consistently pursued bipartisan decisions, emphasize education as the gateway to opportunity and, of particular interest to government leaders in Pleasanton, empowering local decision-making rather than state mandates.
Glazer, a former political adviser to Jerry Brown, nevertheless opposes the governor’s wasteful high-speed rail plan and a twin-tunnels project to ship water through the Delta. As a former mayor of Orinda, he is also experienced in local government. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and served on the California State University Board of Trustees.
Baker was elected in 2014 after a lively campaign against then-Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, a Democrat, to represent the 16th Assembly District. She is the mother of school-age twins, has been a parent leader in local schools, served as vice president of the Dougherty Elementary School Site Council and on several school improvement committees. She also served on a local preschool board and volunteers with Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts in the region as an archery instructor while serving on the board of the Diablo Regional Arts Association in Walnut Creek.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, overcoming cancer her senior year to graduate Phi Beta Kappa and with honors. She later went on to earn her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Baker’s opponent, Cook-Kallio, recently retired after more than 39 years as a classroom teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, three teaching credentials from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in history with an emphasis on the U.S. Constitution, also from San Jose State. She served on the Pleasanton council for eight years, being termed out in 2014. She said friends had urged her to run for the Pleasanton school board, which we also encouraged.
We prefer Steve Glazer for State Senate and Catharine Baker for Assembly.
