Assembly D-15: Thurmond vs. Echols

Tony Thurmond and Elizabeth Echols appear to agree on just about everything, except which of them should represent District 15 in the Assembly. You'll have to read to the end to see how I come down.


First, you can thank the "top two" primary system for this race: District 15 is a safe Democratic district, so the top two candidates are what the East Bay Express calls "Identical Dems in Assembly Race."

Issues
I read through both candidates' websites (Thurmond, Echols) and several news articles (Berkeleyside + that East Bay Express article) about the race between them, and I just can't find much daylight between them on issues.

Someone suggested that there's a difference between them on fracking. Nope. Thurmond supports a ban, Echols wants a moratorium unless/until it is proved safe. Big diff. Thurmond's Issues section of his website has lots more detail about his positions. Echols' Issues section is more limited. But that may be as much a matter of style as anything else. Regardless, I don't find anything I disagree with in either of them.

My guess is that they would have similar voting records in the Assembly.

Backgrounds
They also both have strong -- albeit very different -- backgrounds that suggest they could be effective legislators.

Thurmond was on the Richmond City Council (2005-2008) and West Contra Costa County School Board (2009-2012), and has served on lots of boards and commissions. He's clearly worked in the legislative process, and apparently successfully. He runs a nonprofit called "CEO Youth" (Creating Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Youth) based in Richmond, that trains high school students to conceptualize and launch youth-led business ventures. He grew up poor, overcame it in part with the help of government programs and social services, and wants to provide pathways out of poverty for more kids like himself. That's a compelling story. Plus, as the Express noted, "If elected, he would become the first African-American to represent a district north of Los Angeles in either chamber of the legislature since East Bay Assemblymember Sandré Swanson was termed out of office in 2012."

Echols has never held elected office before (she sought to be appointed to the AC Transit Board a few years ago, but lost out on that to the current incumbent, Joel Young). Normally I'd take that as a major strike against her. But she has an impressive resume, including significant government experience in the executive branch. She was a tech advisor to VP Al Gore in the Clinton Administration, President Obama appointed her to run this region of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and she was Google's Director of Policy. She lives in the Oakland Hills and grew up in Berkeley -- so she doesn't have the same compelling life story that Thurmond does. But she's clearly smart and effective.

Endorsements
Several organizations endorsed them both, so it is a bit of a trick to sort out who endorsed just one or the other. Echols won the Democratic Party endorsement and the Sierra Club, and Nancy Skinner, the current Assemblymember, plus more elected officials from D-15's typical Berkeley power base. Despite that, Thurmond has endorsements from 25 current state legislators (vs. 7 for Echols), plus the expected major players in Richmond and Western Contra Costa.

But this is all procrastination leading to the conclusion -- who am I going to vote for?

• On issues, it is a wash. 
• On background, I'll give an edge to Thurmond for his compelling history and prior experience in elected office, and the opportunity to have an African-American in the state legislature from Northern California. 
• On endorsements, small edge to Echols. 

Clearly, you can't go wrong voting for either of them. I'm sure I'll catch some flak for it in Berkeley, but I think I'll vote for Thurmond.

[10/28 UPDATE: In an election discussion today, a friend said "my environmentalist friends are endorsing Echols and my social justice friends are endorsing Thurmond." That sounds right.]