State Offices on November 2010 ballot

Summary of Elected Officials on November 2010 ballot:
Governor: Jerry Brown (see writeup below)
Lieutenant Governor: Gavin Newsom
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen (see writeup below)
Controller: John Chiang (see writeup)
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer
Attorney General: Kamala Harris
Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones

U.S. Senator: Barbara Boxer (see writeup below)
U.S. Congress, 9th Congressional District: Barbara Lee
Member, State Board of Equalization, 1st District: Betty Yee

Here's a few writeups on the ones I know/care most about:

Barbara Boxer for Senator
This is a tight and important race. Barbara Boxer is a progressive and smart legislator. As the LA Times wrote, Boxer has been a strong voice for "individual rights, equality, environmental protection and constructive engagement by the federal government with national economic problems, including the crisis in healthcare." By contrast, the Republican opponent is a rich right-wing CEO who flirts with the Tea Party, signed a strict no-taxes pledge, and supporting Arizona's racial profiling immigration law. I don't frequently donate to national campaigns, but we donated to Boxer's campaign.

Jerry Brown for Governor
This is a tight race and the outcome is very important. Four years ago, I wasn't enthusiastic about Jerry Brown. But he has been a good Attorney General -- he has done great things on environmental issues and I am proud of his refusal to defend Prop. 8. The Republican alternative would be a horror show, worse than Schwarzenegger in several ways. She has said she would suspend California's landmark climate change law and she would pour cement onto the state budget gridlock. Plus there's her hypocrisy on immigration. We need Jerry Brown as our Governor.

Debra Bowen for Secretary of State
I was enthusiastic about Debra Bowen when she first ran for this role in 2006, and I'm still enthusiastic. She's done a good job and deserves to keep it.

John Chiang for Controller
As with Bowen, I was impressed by Chiang four years ago and I've heard nothing to change my mind. His Republican opponent is one of the more right-wing guys (and one who I particularly know to be dreadful from his work on transportation issues).