When state Sen. Jeff Denham, R- Merced, scored a close win four years ago for the 12th Senate District seat, he delivered Republicans a gift. The district was drawn for the Democrats, but Denham edged their candidate out, beating former Assembly Member Rusty Areias by 1,843 votes.
Democratic hopes of taking the seat this year rest in the hands of George "Wiley" Nickel, a 30-year-old law school graduate and protege of Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced.
Though the district leans Democratic, Denham, 39, is in a good position to hold on to the seat, thanks in part to an impressive line-up of endorsements from local officials, said Tony Quinn, co-editor of the California Target Book, a nonpartisan analysis of legislative and congressional elections.
"We thought early on that it would be a much more heavily contested race than it seems to be," he said.
Denham has a big fundraising lead, reporting $1.9 million in campaign cash on hand as of Sept. 30, compared with Nickel's $79,377.
Nickel doesn't consider himself an underdog. "Honestly, I think this race is going to come down to the wire," he said.
Democrats hold a 46% to 38% voter registration edge in the district, which runs from the Salinas Valley over to Merced, dropping into Madera.
Denham touts his independence.
"I've crossed party lines," he said. "I've spoken out against the governor when we've disagreed."
In one notable vote, Denham in 2003 bucked fellow Republicans in voting for a $100 million loan and state takeover of the Oakland Unified School District.
Denham has gained enough favor with Democratic leaders that he was named chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in late 2004, a rare assignment for a minority member of the Legislature.
To be sure, Denham holds many Republican views. He believes in the death penalty and the right to bear arms and has earned near-perfect voting scores from the California Chamber of Commerce. A former U.S. Air Force member, Denham farms a 40-acre almond ranch in Atwater and runs Denham Plastics, which makes containers for the agriculture industry. He got his start in business by working for Fresh Express, a packaged salad supplier.
He has preached patience in responding to the recent Salinas Valley-based E. coli breakout, wanting to wait until an investigation is complete before holding hearings or introducing bills.
Nickel has criticized his opponent's "wait-and-see approach" in dealing with the outbreak, which has been linked to spinach farming.
Denham says that if elected to a second term, he would fight for state money for water storage projects. He also wants more school funding.
"I have a fundamental philosophy that our system needs more money," said Denham, who has the backing of the powerful California Teachers Association.
Nickel describes himself as a moderate to conservative Democrat who supports the death penalty and gun rights. Yet he also supports efforts to reduce global warming, more of a traditional Democratic view.
Denham voted against Assembly Bill32, the landmark global warming bill opposed by farming and business interests.
Nickel, who lives in Dos Palos, comes from a well-known San Joaquin Valley family. His great-great-great-grandfather, German immigrant Henry Miller, was one of the region's original pioneers.
He worked as a Merced County prosecutor for about a month before resigning earlier this year to focus on the campaign.
A major aspect of his campaign is his "Taxpayer Protection Contract."
In it, Nickel promises not to take gifts from lobbyists, drive a state car or accept a pay raise, among other things.
"This, for me, is a way to be in touch with the voters," he said.
Nickel says two of his main concerns are education and health care.
"Our public schools are broken," said Nickel, adding that he would call for audits to track how money is being spent. "What we need to do is have more local control."
He supports lower prescription drug prices for California's uninsured, as well as getting drugs from Canada.
"Anything I can do to lower health-care costs," Nickel said, "I'm going to do."
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@