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The Tri-Valley’s newest state legislator, Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, has started her first term after being sworn into office during a ceremony in Sacramento earlier this month.
A political newcomer and attorney by trade, Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) defeated two-term incumbent Catharine Baker (R-Dublin) in one of the closest State Legislature elections in all of California, ending with a victory margin of 51% to 49% when the Assembly District 16 vote totals were finalized nearly four weeks after Election Night.
“I am so honored that the people of AD16 chose me to be here representing them, and I am just so privileged and excited to work to represent all of my constituents. So I am here to deliver for my district,” Bauer-Kahan, 40, said in an audio statement on her district website.
Buoyed by the blue wave seen at polls across California this fall, Bauer-Kahan reclaimed for the Democrats one of the more moderate regions in the Bay Area, a district that consists of the Tri-Valley and Lamorinda communities along with a portion of Walnut Creek.
During the campaign this fall, Bauer-Kahan presented herself as a Democrat who would always represent the voice of District 16 residents while criticizing Baker for not acting in line with constituents’ priorities 100% of the time, despite the Republican incumbent’s bipartisan reputation.
Bauer-Kahan’s victory — to earn her first-ever elected position — marked a remarkable turnaround after finishing well behind Baker in the June primary (56.6% to 43.4%) and after trailing by 2.4% after early returns on Election Night on Nov. 6.
But the Orinda Democrat continued to gain ground each subsequent day as more vote-by-mail and provisional ballots were counted in Alameda and Contra Costa counties before taking a lead she would not relinquish Nov. 16.
Her final margin of victory was 4,539 votes, among the nearly 218,000 registered voters who cast ballots.
Bauer-Kahan was sworn into office during a ceremony Dec. 3 at the State Capitol, with the oath administered by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Los Angeles). Her husband and three children were among the supporters on-hand for the event.
“I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work and deliver on transportation and education and the things we really need, but also to work to represent the values of our district. To make sure we’re getting the voice we need on the environment, on a woman’s right to choose, on gun violence prevention, on the things that my constituents elected me to come here and do,” she said on her district website.
Back in the days of the late Richard J. Daley (“the elder”), who reigned in Chicago for over 20 years, the Democrat machine’s motto was “Vote early, and vote often!”
But those were different times, or at least, more blatant times…..
This “victory” is clearly a result of Ballot Harvesting which was made legal in California. How else can one explain that the vast majority of votes which were counted in the ensuing 4 weeks after the election were for Bauer-Kahn? We all need to accept the results as they played by the very flawed rules which have been put in place in California. Given the fact that illegals can get driver licenses and are then automatically registered to vote, and the legalization of Ballot Harvesting which allows solicitors to approach them and help them vote, it is a wonder elections are as close as they are.
If Dan Francisco is a microcosm of what the super majority will do to the entire state, we are all in trouble!! Actually, the $200 billion of underfunded pension liability means we are already in trouble.
I have worked at the polls for over 40 years. In all that time I have never seen some of the things I saw it at this election. In the last four hours of the polls being open, and exceptional number of people came in carrying hands full of Mail in ballots. No longer is it required to be a relative or someone designated to drop in the ballots. I also know that ballots were stolen in the Windemere area. I can’t help but wonder what happened to those. we poll workers are not allowed to ask for ID or any other identification and it makes me wonder if our elections are as valid as they used to be.
The State Bar need to open an investigation into her falsely claiming on the actual ballot and in her campaign ads that she was a “Professor” at Santa Clara Law School. She has never been a “Professor” at Santa Clara Law School. Everyone associated with a university knows the difference between being a “Professor”, which a university awards after years of teaching and publishing, and being a “lecturer” or “adjunct professor” which applies to those who simply teach a temporary or part time class like legal research and writing.
She knowingly used a false claim about her background to get an advantage in this election, and this also shows her lack of character. She needs to resign, and allow the Governor to appoint another Democrat to this position, someone with actual character who will not lie about their past to get elected.
Long Term Resident is spot on. With providing Undocumented Residents Driver’s Licenses and then having a Motor Voter registration program, obviously tens of thousands of illegals are being permitted to vote. Theoretically they should be vetted as to their citizenship when registering, but I cannot begin to believe this is happening. On election night there were 7 or more Assembly, State Senate and U.S. Congressional Districts where the Republicans had small to substantial leads only to lose up to 4 weeks later when the provisional ballots came trickling in, almost entirely Democrat.
The Peoples Republic of California has devolved into a one-party Soviet style state where the Democrats control all the state wide offices and have supermajorities in both houses. The fox is, indeed, in control of the henhouse. There is no-one left to monitor the fraud. Watch your pocketbooks: Our already highest State Income Tax rate in the nation is in danger of going up more and there is talk of overturning Prop. 13. Severely higher taxes will be needed to fund Single Payer and the super train to nowhere. I’m sure Liberals reading this post will say, “if you don’t like it, move.” That works to their benefit, less Republicans, what few are left, to deal with.
This is all very suspicious to me. Catharine Baker served her district well and is appreciated by her constituents. She was well ahead of Bauer-Kahan on election day, but a week or so later a flood of absentee ballots come in for Bauer-Kahan. I hope Mrs. Baker does not give up, and runs again. I’m saving her yard sign if she chooses to run again in two years or for another state office.
Let me be the outlier here and congratulate Bauer-Kahan on her victory. There were a lot of people who could have overlooked Baker’s voting records because she’s otherwise decent, but decided they could not in conscience vote ‘R’ for anyone because of the larger national situation.
The sour grapes here are typical of the comment board here, which is skewed wildly away from actual election results towards the older, cranky crowd.
(This is all very suspicious to me. Catherine Baker served her district well and is appreciated by her constituents. She was well ahead of Bauer-Kahan on election day, but a week or so later a flood of absentee ballots come in for Bauer-Kahan. I hope Mrs. Baker does not give up, and runs again. I’m saving her yard sign if she chooses to run again in two years or for another state office) previous comment. I’m surprised also and agree with this comment.
Die kulturelle Entwicklung auf der Insel war ein Nährboden für weit verbreitete Spekulationen. Da die Insel aus vulkanischem Gestein besteht, bauten die ersten Bewohner das Material zu riesigen Statuen ab, die teilweise bis zu 14 Fuß, 6 Zoll hoch und etwa 14 Tonnen schwer waren. http://froheosternn.org/
Does anyone see the irony in our local chicken hawks crying fowl, grousing with Henny Penny that the sky has fallen? At least she had an acorn as evidence, where these birds have none – not even poultry proof. Yet these are the same turkeys whose Party engineered Actual electoral fraud in North Carolina, and whose gerrymandering and other anti-democracy, disenfranchisement tactics seek to rig elections, nation-wide.
Birds of a feather, I guess. Their argument amounts to: ‘we’ lost, so ‘they’ must’ve cheated. You got proof – bring it. Otherwise, refresh your elementary school lessons about grace in losing – and watch where you step!
To “Audubon”, stick top birdwatching.
Ah, but I am! Currently stalking the rare and long-lived western red-crested elephant bird (see image: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/seuss/images/a/ae/Morton_the_Elephant_Bird.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/220?cb=20180811035558 ).
It’s a close relative of the dodo, and nearly as extinct in these parts. It’s known to flock together in small colonies, especially near golf courses, and complains loud and discordantly whenever disturbed. Sets up quite a cacophony when they all get going! Brilliant white plumage sometimes tinted blue, it tries to drive away more colorful birds and take their eggs. Spends most of its time feathering its own nest, but seems to live in constant fear because of Foxes (and their friends).
Have you seen any around here?