Free Republic

The race is officially on in the 6th Assembly District. Republican Assembly candidate Andrew Pugno announced Monday that he plans to move forward with his bid to unseat Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R-Rocklin, on the Nov. 6 ballot, despite an earlier pledge to stop campaigning if another Republican came in first in the June primary. The Folsom attorney said in a statement that he has concluded he "cannot, in good conscience, endorse (Gaines') dishonest and unethical campaign tactics," citing what he called "last-minute attack ads that she knew were lies." "As the only other candidate on the November ballot, stepping aside...

A political advocacy group funded largely by wealthy Stanford physicist Charles T. Munger Jr. has poured $83,000 this week into an independent push to re-elect Republican Assemblywoman Beth Gaines. Gaines, of Rocklin, is running against attorney and fellow Republican Andy Pugno in the 6th Assembly District, a newly drawn district based in Placer County but extending into Sacramento and El Dorado counties. Democrat Reginald Bronner of Lincoln rounds out the field. A radio advertisement and campaign literature supporting Gaines was funded by Spirit of Democracy, whose coffers consist of $727,000 from Munger and $150,000 from the California Dental Association, records...

The race for the newly drawn 6th Assembly District is shaping up as a potential political – and personal – Republican slugfest. GOP Assemblywoman Beth Gaines could face two challengers from her side of the aisle in her re-election bid for the safe Republican district. The Rocklin Republican's potential rivals – Folsom attorney Andrew Pugno and Roseville school board member Linda Park – both have ties to Gaines' former rival, Roseville Councilman John Allard. Pugno, who has filed a statement of intention to run but has made no formal announcement, used the same campaign consultant in 2010 that Allard did...

New Assemblywoman Beth Gaines finally was sworn in to office Thursday, more than a week after her election – but don't trot out conspiracy theories about Democrats trying to keep her away.Sen. Ted Gaines, her husband, said Assembly Democratic leadership did not stall at seating the Roseville Republican.After her election May 4, the Assembly held two other floor sessions. The first was two days after balloting, too soon for the Gaineses to ensure that relatives and friends could attend a swearing-in. The second was Monday when Assembly chambers promised to be crowded for an annual ceremony honoring Latino newsmakers. Thursday...

Republican Beth Gaines has won the election to fill her husband's former Assembly seat. Gaines was ahead of Roseville Democrat Dennis Campanale in Tuesday's runoff election for the 4th Assembly District, leading 55 percent to 45 percent, with 90 percent of precincts reporting. The two emerged as the top vote-getters in an eight-way March primary election triggered by the January election of her husband, Ted Gaines, to an overlapping state Senate seat. While Gaines edged out her closest GOP rival by just one percentage point in the primary, she was considered the clear front-runner in this round of balloting. Campanale,...