[img]411|left|Assemblyman Curren Price||no_popup[/img] A rough weekend for Assemblyman Curren Price, who is favored to defeat a full-house of candidates for a vacant state Senate seat in next Tuesday’s special election — aren’t all elections special?
Was the weekend a portent of stormy times ahead?
Or will Mr. Price be able to wring 50 percent-plus-one vote from a weary, questionably motivated electorate?
If so, he will avoid a runoff against any of his 7 opponents, 5 of whom are Democrats, the only party that wins in this neighborhood.
Until last Saturday’s candidates free-for-all, sailing had been satin-smooth for Mr. Price.
He completed his first term in the Assembly last November, at the moment Mark Ridley-Thomas was winning a chair on the County Board of Supervisors, vacating his Senate seat and subsequently endorsing Mr. Price.
Two Vulnerable Spots?
Two charges were leveled against the Assemblyman, who portrays himself as a friend of the business community and of labor, a nifty job of straddling polar opposites that routinely are adversarial factions.
Mr. Price, who prefers not to be known as a standard-issue Inglewood Democrat, was hammered by several rivals for being a prisoner of special lobbying interests. He also took sprayed heat for his recent move into the 26th state Senate District, home to 800,000 residents, twice the size of his old Assembly region.
While he was cited by his rivals for accepting large amounts of campaign funding from hyperactive horse-racing and casino interests, Mr. Price parried the accusations by characterizing himself as a loyal friend of nurses, healthcare workers, janitors, small business owners, police officers and firefighters.
While preparing for Saturday’s forum, Mr. Price, tiptoeing toward 60 years old, sat down to answer questions in the quiet conference room of an Inglewood office. Possibly the best educated candidate in a field of ambitiously trained contenders, he comfortably fits into a paternal, if not patriarchal, mould.
Tall, stately, scholarly, reserved-appearing, immensely confident and equally controlled or disciplined, he looks as if he should be called Papa because of the image of accumulated wisdom he effortlessly conveys.
No barrel of laughs, reflecting his business-training background, his eyes are on the road, never wavering.
True to this outline, his words constantly are searching for a soft landing.
Is campaigning the best time, worst time or just a necessary part of being a politician?
“It’s part of the process.”
Do you enjoy it?
“Sometimes, when you can connect with people, when you hear stories, responses to things you have done, when they appreciate your efforts, even sometimes when they give you criticism. Feedback is invigorating. Raising money is a chore.”
As the highest-profiled candidate, how much are you raising for this campaign?
“Several hundred thousand dollars. It’s a big district, and we are committed to getting our word out.”
Have you encountered voter fatigue?
“It’s a matter of educating voters by inspiring them to vote. That’s a challenge. We have been able to target the Los Angeles elections two weeks ago and distinguish it from this election.”
How do you strategize a campaign against a crowded field differently from running against one other person?
“You still have to present yourself. In this race, I think it is clear I have got the skills and experience that surpass those of my colleagues.”
Where are your largest edges?
“My background and my experience. From the area. Grew up in the area. Graduated from Stanford University, Law School at the University of Santa Clara. I have diverse work experience in the private sector. I was in business for awhile. I worked in the telecommunications industry in Washington, D.C. for about 10 years. I also worked as a consultant in a small business program. I taught school at community colleges. I served as an elected member of the (Inglewood) City Council.
“I have had the kind of breadth and depth that is important, not just in the public sector but also in the private sector. Because of that, it is reflected in the level of support I have. “
Where are you more effective as a candidate, one-on-one, or in a debate setting?
“Even in a debate setting, I like to communicate one-on-one. I like people to know I am talking to them. People want to know you are hearing them, you are feeling them, that you are empathizing with them. I want them to know I am connecting with them.”
What is the significance of Mr. Ridley-Thomas’s endorsement?
“It has been important because people respect his judgment and values, especially in view of the fact he endorsed someone else two years ago.”
What changed?
“We had a chance to work together the last two years (in Sacramento), and he had a chance to evaluate the other prospective candidates. (Mr. Ridley-Thomas made his endorsement almost two months before the filing deadline.)
Is there a way to transcend the every-year problems with the state budget?
“We need to make structural changes in the way we pass the budget. The two-thirds requirement is counterproductive. A simple majority works well in 47 or so other states.”
As one of the most frequently seated state legislatures in the country, is there really a need for a fulltime legislature?
“I think so because the problems and issues we are confronted with require fulltime attention. As the most populous state, we are on the cutting edge for the nation. A fulltime legislature is a proper balance to the executive branch of government.
“With a part-time legislature, you don’t have the same level of intensity and focus.”
