State Senate Shenanigans
Man, we are starting to get a headache trying to stay on top of the convoluted machinations of the San Francisco 2008 State Senate race. You may remember that current State Assembly rep Mark Leno floated a trial balloon to run in two years for the seat currently held by his former friend Carole Migden. After pooh-poohing the rumor, Migden then promptly started floating trial balloons of her own that she might run against Gavin Newsom for mayor in 2007, to improve her name recognition in SF and shore up support with anti-Newsomites.
Well, the latest rumor (from the Bay Area Reporter) is that folks have heard tell that Aaron Peskin is now thinking about running for the State Senate seat as well. Whaaaaa? The tea-leaf readers think maybe he's working with Migden, to try and split the progressive vote between himself and Leno, to assure Migden's victory. Or, more ominously for Migden -- it could be that Migden is now seen as easy prey. Folks in Marin and Sonoma (which are in the same district as SF) are now thinking maybe they should run someone too.
And this just in, from the Left in SF comments -- apparently Gavin's now upset with Leno for running against Migden too. Not so much out of any loyalty to Harry Britt (who lost to Leno for the Assembly seat in 2002) or dedication to Migden (at whose same-sex wedding he officiated), but because he's afraid that if Leno runs, Migden will definitely run for mayor against him and he doesn't want the stress.
But wait! The waters get murkier (and Don Perata gets involved), after the jump.
Picture of Aaron Peskin and Mark Leno talking at the SF Center for Economic Development Legislators' Forum.
Let the rumor-mongering begin! According to the state politics newspaper Capitol Weekly, State Senate leader Don Perata told Leno not to run for Migden's seat, since she's a sitting senator (and Perata may need to stay on everyone in the Senate's good side right now, given that he's under investigation by the FBI for influence-peddling).
However, Leno says Perata never told him that. In addition, on Leno's side of things, reports also have it that Perata isn't so happy with Migden these days either, after kicking her out of her Senate Appropriations seat after that whole voting button issue -- plus, Leno's done a lot of fundraising for a bunch of state reps so a lot of people owe him favors.
Wow, who knew state politics might become as interesting as local politics around here? Let the bloodletting begin!