You cannot officially address Assemblyman Curren D. Price Jr.— yet — as Sen. Price.
But this morning is not too early to start practicing for 2 months from now.
[img]411|left|Assemblyman Curren Price||no_popup[/img] By clobbering his many opponents in an open primary yesterday that attracted family members, friends and 2 or 3 passersby, Mr. Price is banging on the door of the state Senate seat in Sacramento that Mark Ridley-Thomas left behind in November when he was whoppingly elected to the County Board of Supervisors.
He defeated runnerup and fellow Assembly member Mike Davis, 8,442 votes to 5,158,or 36 percent to 22 percent. Robert Cole came in third at 3,133.
School Board member Saundra Davis ran sixth.
It would be technically accurate to report that a little after 11 o’clock last night, when Mr. Price’s victory became official, an explosion of cheers and hooting erupted at his headquarters, Ford’s Filling Station, in the breakout bosom of Downtown.
Besides heavy breathing, the air also was shared with a reserved, but knowing, whiff of confidence.
If you ever have patronized Ben Ford’s always-crowded saloon for the sophisticated, the 405 Freeway with shoes on, you know that celebrations occur nearly hourly.
Last night was different, even for a saloon that is said to be as jammed in the off-hours as when it is open because this time political stars flooded the main floor.
Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger, his son Karlo, the first candidate of the season for next November’s School Board election, former City Councilman Steve Rose and the aforementioned Mr. Ridley-Thomas cheered Mr. Price’s long-anticipated win.
They Knew Who Was No. 1
Still, Mr. Price’s commanding tall and stately appearance, towered over the glamourous gathered as he effortlessly glided among the masses, quietly accepting elevation congratulations.
Barely 5 percent of the almost 400,000 registered voters bothered to check any of the 8 names on the ballot in the open primary.
Lately, doesn’t it seem that elections, special or un-special, have become just like buses? If you miss this one, another will be along in a finger-snap.
And so it has been ordained.
Clearly, Mr. Price was the blue-ribbon choice of voters. But he could not be awarded an outright victory — just yet — because he did not meet the threshold of 50 percent of the votes plus one. He fell short because of the busy field. Everybody but his brother-in-law and his butcher’s out-of-wedlock daughter chased the seat.
On Tuesday, May 19, a week before Memorial Day, Mr. Price is expected to score an even wider victory.
He will be facing a Republican, Rabbi Nachum Shifren, who placed fourth yesterday, and the Peace and Freedom Party candidate, Cindy Valera Henderson.
Ms. Henderson coaxed 414 votes out of the electorate, and the bad news was that another candidate attracted even fewer.
Mr. Price is heavily favored because he is a liberal Democrat and his opponents are not.
Will It Be Lopsided?
Fred MacFarlane, Mr. Price’s crack spokesman, said it best as he stood in front of Ford’s Filling Station at 10:30 last night:
“This is a 68.3 percent Democratic district. Unless no Democrats decide to vote in May, he is going to win.”
Naturally, the sunny day in May will not be the end of eternal election season.
Somebody will have to run for the chair that Mr. Price has held in the Assembly the last 2 years and will vacate in 8 more weeks.
Curren D. Price Jr., Dem, 8,442, 35.65%
Mike Davis, Dem, 5,158, 21.78%
Robert Cole, Dem,3,133, 13.23%
Nachum Shifren, Rep, 2,731, 11.53%
Jonathan Friedman, Dem, 1,864, 7.67%
Saundra Davis, Dem, 1,803, 7.61%
Cindy V. Henderson, P&F, 414, 1.75%
Mervin Leon Evans, Dem, 136, 0.57%
100% of 354 precincts reporting
390,000 registered voters. 23,548 votes tabulated.
