[Homer_J_Simpson]

Wow. While I was washing the dishes the race really got close.

Can you give a quick rundown on the candidates so we know who to boo and cheer and why?

John Laird is a standard Santa Cruz leftist tool of government employee unions. I know little about Blakeslee except that he has to be better than Laird. Supposedly the race has implications for the balance of power in the state senate, but I can't imagine that there is any danger of the rats losing their viselike grip on power.

[Steelers6]

Senate District 15
Districtwide

Monterey

San Luis Obispo

Santa Barbara

Santa Clara

Santa Cruz

Senate District 15 - Districtwide Results
26.72% (101 of 378) precincts partially
or fully reporting as of August 17th, 2010 8:44 p.m.
Candidate Votes Percent
Jim Fitzgerald 7183 5.7%
Mark Hinkle 2733 2.2%
John Laird 53824 42.7%
Sam Blakeslee 62249 49.4%

[aquila48]

“Can you give a quick rundown on the candidates so we know who to boo and cheer and why?”

Here’s Blakeslee on the issues - nothing to jump up and down about - but this is Coastal California (includes places like Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara), and Laird is worse.

http://www.blakesleeforsenate.com/on-the-issues.htm

With 57% of the precincts reporting, Blakeslee leads Laird 49.1-43.3. I’d say Blakeslee’s got it.