Two 'moderate' San Francisco Democrats face off in a political showdown

The following first appeared in Capitol Weekly Of the two Assembly districts that include portions of San Francisco, Assembly District 12 (AD 12) is the "conservative" one. The district spans the western portion of San Francisco and parts of northern San Mateo County, and as it zigs and zags through the middle of the city, it dodges the Castro, Haight, and Mission districts--the heart of progressive San Francisco. This year's race between San Francisco Supervisor Fiona Ma and political newcomer Janet Reilly can be characterized as a race between two relatively moderate Democrats. In a city known for producing progressive firebrands, neither candidate has rallied the city's progressive community in what is expected to be one of the year's costliest and most competitive Democratic primaries. Ma openly supports the death penalty and said in an April debate that the Ellis Act, the state law that allows property owners to evict renters when selling land, "is sometimes the only way for some people to become homeowners and I support it." In that same debate, Reilly, a pro-choice Catholic, quoted former first lady Hilary Clinton on the abortion issue, saying the practice should be "safe, legal, and rare," a stance Clinton has used to appeal to party moderates. But while the two qualify as moderates in San Francisco, they're still liberal Democrats in California. Both candidates are pro-choice, gay-marriage supporters, who have vowed to fully fund education and advocate for a single-payer universal health-care system. And like many internecine San Francisco political battles, this race is going to be expensive. The cost of the campaign is expected to top $2 million, as both camps have turned down voluntary spending limits. Ma already has raised more than $1 million, and Reilly has countered with more than $500,000. Despite the high-cost primary affair, the candidates have agreed to agree on many of the state's hot-button issues.... Read the rest of the piece here.