Girding for the 12th

State Senate district 12 is expected to be one of the few Republican-held seats that Democrats challenge for in 2006. But before that happens current resident Sen. Jeff Denham is preparing for battle by padding his campaign chest with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Last year alone, Denham raised some $1.2 million, most of which came from various Republican county party apparati and the state party. Toward the end of the year, San Diego sent him $25,000, Merced $70,000, Stanislaus $57,500, Monterey $50,000 and the state party another quarter million. The most talked about challenger is Assemblyman Simon Salinas, most recently known as the 41st vote needed to pass the gay marriage bill in the Assembly last year. If he does not run, former Assemblyman Fred Keeley may.