Noted San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno won the Democratic primary in the state Senate throne, taking it away from incumbent Carole Migden. With 81% of the precincts reporting, according to the Chronicle, Leno culled in an astounding 43% of the vote. (Whoa!) Nation and Migden took in in a dismal 29% and 28%, respectively.

And his victory party? Was at lounge, restaurant, and totally NOT a coke bar Lime over on Market Street. The place, it seems, was littered with gays (e.g., Tom Ammiano and Bevan Dufty) shouting "Leno, Leno, Leno" as he entered the room.

Oh, he also threw some shade at PG&E last night. "'All gay men should be outraged with PG&E tonight,'" he told the crowd.

That said, we will miss the cruelty of what was a nasty race between Leno and Migden. If you recall, Leno filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission, charging Migden with being all ADHD with her bookkeeping; saw a delightful night out at the Harvey Milk Democratic Club almost turn into an evening of fisticuffs; and briefly saw local alt weekly SFBG and Supervisor Chris Daly become frenemies.

Oh man. Like... wow. This is entertaining, exciting stuff.

Let's back up a bit: It all started last Friday after a not-so-innocent yet fraudulent slate card endorsing Migden boasting the SFBG logo (something SFist knows a little something about) showed up on doorknobs across the city. Of course, SFBG Editor Tim Redmond had to issue a WTF-we-didn't-do-this -shit post.

Also, and get this, Chris Daly was behind said slate card. Redmond says:

I called Sup. Chris Daly, who was behind the card, tonight and told him how unhappy I was, and he said he didn't care. "I'm unhappy, too," he said. "You endorsed Mark Leno, who is not a progressive."

Okay, we can argue that forever, but it's not the point. It's not cool to use the Guardian logo and (I hope) good name and reputation to confuse the voters.

But then in the comments is where it gets good. Real good.

Before entering a voguing competition (we can only assume) to the sounds of Seal at Saturday night's Black & White Ball, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her endorsement for Assemblyman Mark Leno. Much to no one's surprise.

Poor incumbent Migden. Won't someone please show her some love?!

Anyway, it looks like Leno, for better or for worse, might be voted "most popular" after tomorrow's votes are finally counted. If you recall, this race has, by all reports, "fueled tension in San Francisco's gay community" because--get this!--both Migden and Leno are queer. Zoinks. But we ask you, homosexual readers, have you gotten into slap fights with other gays over this race? Because, really: not so much.

After Carole Migden won the endorsement of the Harvey Milk Club, things were looking grim for Assemblyman Mark Leno. But today Gavin Newsom shined his megawatt charm over in Leno's direction today, endorsing his bid for a state Senate seat. According to the B.A.R., " Newsom [is] expected to publicly endorse Leno Wednesday night at the Herbst Theatre during a special screening of Pursuit of Equality..."

Leno is trying to dethrone state Senator Carole Migden from her Third District seat. The two bent lawmakers will go head to head during the June 3 primary. (Another election? Oh man.) San Francisco Police Commissioner Joseph Alioto Veronese and former state Assemblyman Joe Nation (who, it seems, just entered the race last Saturday) will also make an attempt to steal the seat, but neither candidate is expected to win.

Image credit: B.A.R. / Rick Gerharter

Remember the bedlam over at that local homo political clique last year? You know, that time when Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) "stole" the vote from Mark Leno? And then gay-on-gay hair-pulling violence erupted? Well, it looks like the vote for Carole is going to stick. Now that Rafael Mandelman has been elected president of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, the lcoal group, according to the B.A.R., "is Carole Migden's club." And that, it seems, is that.

But all is not lost for State Assemblyman Mark Leno (who just honored Beth Spotswood with her very own proclamation, for which we are murderously envious.) Riding on the Gus Van Sant's wave, Leno is looking to turn Harvey Milk's birthday (May 22, making him an airy Gemini) into a holiday. It seems that Leno will introduce legislation that will make "Milk's birthday...a non-fiscal state holiday each year, meaning schoolchildren and state workers would not be given the day off."

The B.A.R. claims that "[d]ue to the state's $14 billion budget deficit, Leno said the bill would be crafted in a way so as not to generate additional state costs or increase the number of paid state holidays." Cool. And way to stay in the game, Mark.

Ever since that childish display of local politicking, all sides have been more or less civil and relatively respectful of one another. It goes without say how disappointed we are in both sides. Where's the name calling? Where are the sock puppeting commenters? Where's the unbridled hate? Sigh.

Anyway, our sources tell us that "[t]his is it. Migden will either get 60% of the vote to get the endorsement, or she won't and then nobody will get endorsed this go around." And if you're not attending one of the many open-bar holiday parties blessing bars and nightclubs around city, we highly recommend attending this endorsement meeting.

The Harvey Milk Club votes on endorsements for the February 2008 election and the June 2008 State Senate primary tomorrow, December 11, 7 p.m. to 9 at the Women's Building. Ladies, clip your nails; men, wear your cups. It might get dirty.

The Milk Club's (AKA the, ahem, HMLGBTDC) press release about tomorrow's meeting after the jump.

Even though we're too vile to appear on screen in a film about his life, legacy, and popper sniffing -- no, we will not let it go, but thank you for asking -- we will honor the guy who was once known as the Mayor of Castro Street: former San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk.

Sure, some of the Castro's sex shops have removed phallic symbols from their storefront windows in order to protect the tasteful children. So what if the neighborhood is a ghost of its former self? So is Harvey Milk! So, come and honor the past.Milk's presence will be felt at tonight's concert featuring Holly Near, SF Gay Men's Chorus, Dance Brigade, Shawna Virago, Keith Hennessy, and Melania DeMore.

Also scheduled to appear are Carole Migden and Mark Leno (singing a self-deprecating rendition of "Bosom Buddies" -- no, not really), Tommy Ammiano, Cecilia Chung (of the Transgender Law Center), and John Newsome (part of the loud group, ...And Castro For All)

More info? Gladly:

The Harvey Milk Club invites you to join us for the annual Harvey Milk Memorial March. This year, in addition to the candlelight march from Harvey Milk Plaza to the site of Milk’s former camera shop down the street, there will also be performances to celebrate his life. This occasion kicks off a year-long series of events leading up to the 30th anniversary of Milk’s assassination on November 27, 1978. The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club was founded by Harvey Milk, and renamed in his honor.

WHEN: Tuesday November 27th [tonight!] at 5:30 PM
WHERE: Harvey Milk Plaza (corner of Castro & Market)

Image credit: Trinity Stores

Although we were much too busy with failed attempts at bit-part stardom to care about our civic duty this weekend -- a mistake we'll never make again -- we have read some interesting tidbits covering Saturday's Leno/Migden/some other candidate district 3 dance-off, or whatever. Ahem:

-- San Francisco Blog claims that "Senator Carole Migden...took the high road and chose not to engage in dirty politics." Well, that's no fun. And...skewed perhaps. Also, it seems Migden reapplied her lipstick several times during the debate.

-- According to LeftInSF, "The most awkward moment occurred at the end. To ensure fairness, Ms. Davis rotate who got to speak first. At the end, each candidate got 2 1/2 minutes to do their summary. She noted that Assemblymember Mark Leno was to go first. He stated that she was incorrect and State Senator Migden was to go first. Ms. Davis was very firm and repeated that it was his turn in the rotation to go first. Again, Leno objected and said that it was Senator Migden's turn to go first. Senator Migden used this opportunity to ask a show of hands if people thought that Leno was to go first. Ms. Davis was unyielding and Leno did his 2 1/2 minute closing statement." Now, now children.

-- KCBS notes "Leno told the crowd that he was not running for office as a personal attack on Migden." Of course not -- an open-handed slap to the face is so much easier and cost-effective.

For those of you somehow not tempted into becoming a part of Van Santian art -- or, you know, if you sport a vagina -- might we suggest catching round II of the Leno vs. Migden smackdown? Sponsored by the Harvey Milk Club, this meeting is sure to ruffle a few plumes and have local politicos affectedly scratching their chins for days to come.

That's right, kids, it's on. It is going to be on. And we won't be happy with anything less than a gruesome bloodbath.

What: Migden vs. Leno II: This Time It's Homosexual -- CA Senate Debate
When: Saturday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Where: The State Building, Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Avenue (between Larkin & Polk)
Who: Carole! Mark! And your moderator, Belva Davis! (Police Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese will be there, too. He's also running. Isn't that adorable?)
Panelists: Cynthia Laird (Editor of the Bay Area Reporter), Kim Corsaro (Publisher/Editor of the Bay Times), Steven T. Jones (City Editor for the SF Bay Guardian)

After paying up last year for disclosure violations, Senator Carole Migden is once again under investigation for not disclosing or itemizing credit card charges that total $397,000. According to the LA Times, she faces $60,000 in administrative fines if she's in breach, our Miss Migden has investigators looking all up in her credit card charging for over the past seven years. Yikes.

The main cause of concern for not keeping tidy books is that it could mean that money is being spent for personal, not campaign-related, use. Apparently, Migden's reports only list the amount spent and the name of the credit card company...and that's all. (Hey, she sounds better at managing her finances than us. But we digress.)

Oh, and the cattiest part of all, "[t]he Fair Political Practices Commission launched an investigation of Migden's expenses after receiving a formal complaint from Assemblyman Mark Leno...who is a candidate to unseat her in the June 2008 election." Oh, you two. Can't you hug it out over Grasshoppers at the Lex? Don't the gays and the dykes have an strained enough relationship as it is?

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“I was shocked,” said Board of Supervisors Prez Aaron Peskin after being asked about Gavin Newsom's whereabouts this past weekend. Same here. Word is that Gavin was in Hawaii this past weekend, kicking in the sand and surf. Has senioritis kicked in already, Mayor? Not that you could've mopped up the oil singlehandedly, but still, you should have been here. We're a sensitive lot, us SF babies.

Meanwhile Bevan was our acting mayor, and according to Richard Cole at San Francisco Daily (who are refreshingly online-free, thus no link), "[o]ther politicians jumped into the cleanup effort. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein browbeat federal officials into action, while Assemblyman Mark Leno cleaned beaches and State Sen. Carole Migden set up a senate hearing into the disaster."

That's...pretty remarkable. Sure, he has nothing to worry about seeing as how he's our mayor for another four years, existing in a supreme state of untouchableness. But it's these kind of seemingly innocuous things that don't get guys elected to higher offices; it's moments like this that won't get someone elected President. (We can see the smear campaign now, a commercial juxtaposing tear-stained, oily seagulls with that of a frolicking, shirtless Mayor cruising around in an [gasp!] SUV. Actually, we would vote for him if we saw something like that.)

Anyway, Newsom was back at work on Monday...chatting it up with Oracle folk.

(SF Daily's article after the jump.)

Did you see or hear about Gavin Newson's State of the City address? We did. For a few minutes. It seems the Gavin went on for over 100 minutes, as SFist Jim already pointed out. (Pretty people have a habit of droning on. We waste more time feigning interest in what attractive people have to say than we do standing in line or waiting at red lights.) He also thanked Carole Migden and Mark Leno for coming to hear him speak...in that order! (OMG! Read between the lines there, folks. Or not. Migden does outrank Leno as she's in the upper house, etc. But nothing like trying to start another fun fight, right?)

But as Phil Matier already pointed out, the Mayor took a page from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth via busting out the Powerpoint. (Oh, Gav. You so Gorey.) The address focused less on the future, and more on all of the glorious achievements we have now (biotech companies, etc.), a brief whisper of our problems (an inexcusable murder rate, etc.), and Gavin's continued fondness for icy-blue neckwear.