ELECTION ’12//ALCO SUPERVISOR DIST2 | Like a fair carny sweetening the deal for disinterested customers, Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi is trading down in her bid to gain the support of local Democrats as she gears up for potentially brutal campaign for Alameda County’s District 2 supervisors seat.

As reported two weeks ago, Hayashi was asking local politicians as early as last May for their endorsement of her fall campaign. Recently appointed Supervisor Richard Valle, Union City Mayor Mark Green and Robert Ridgeway also plan to run for the two-year seat vacated in April by Nadia Lockyer.

As jockeying begins for the crucial endorsement of the Democratic Party, several sources who have been contacted by Hayashi and choose not to be named, say the termed out assemblywoman is no longer asking party faithful to endorse her campaign. Instead, the sources say, Hayashi is asking for a no endorsement in the race. A moved likely meant to neutralize Valle’s support among local Democrats and potentially deny him the requisite 60 percent of party delegates.

However, as seen earlier this month in Rob Bonta’s successful endorsement from Democrats in the 18th Assembly District Central Committee, currying a majority of its members does not necessarily equal success. Bonta, reportedly, received only a single vote out of 10 members. The remaining votes came from party activists outside of the district and is perfectly legal under party rules.

By trading down from pointedly asking colleagues for their supporter to, essentially, asking them to, at least, not choose the other guys is the first tangible indication Hayashi’s bid for supervisor is looking downright shaky and a whole lot desperate.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article referenced Democratic central committee members from outside the area voting for the party endorsement of the Alameda County District 2 race. Unlike the endorsement in the 18th Assembly District, this race is voted by Alameda County Democrats only.

Advertisement