Coastsider endorses Leland Yee for state senate

In addition to Measure S parcel tax, there’s one race on this June’s ballot where your vote really matters. Coastsider endorses Leland Yee in the Democratic primary for State Senate.

Until I started Coastsider, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to state legislative races, so I’m addressing this to those of you who haven’t given much thought to this race.  Most of the time, it doesn’t really matter, because the incumbent always wins.  This year, we have a real race for an important seat.  Incumbent Jackie Speier is leaving due to term limits.  Leland Yee, whose state assembly seat consists mostly of San Francisco, and former San Mateo County Supervisor Mike Nevin are fighting for Speier seat, which represents the two counties.  There’s also a wild card in this race:  former San Mateo Assemblyman Lou Papan seems to be running mainly to settle a score with Nevin [backgrounder].

This is an important race and one in which your vote counts.

I’m going to tell you why I’m voting Leland Yee, and you can decide whether he’s right for you.  In a race between Democrats, I’m voting for a candidate who is concerned about my community. I think it boils down to two things: environmentalism and interest in the Coastside itself.

Leland Yee has a strong environmental record.  On the Coastside, nearly every significant issue at the state level is an environmental issue: fishing, farming, the Coastal Commission, housing, offshore drilling, parks, beaches, open space, and water. Alone among the candidates, Yee has a prominent place for the environmental issues on his campaign site. Yee has been endorsed by Vote the Coast, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters and League for Coastside Protection. Yee’s environmental record should matter to Coastsiders. 

Leland Yee is clearly interested in the Coastside. In the last year, he has come to the Coastside many times. He will be here again Wednesday at a pre-election event held by the Midcoast Community Council at which Mike Nevin has declined to appear. Yee has clearly identified the Coastside as a key constituency in San Mateo County and has been working hard for our votes.  Even when he was in the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Mike Nevin gained a reputation for not caring about our community. When you come from a part of the county that is often ignored and treated shabbily when it does get attention, it’s refreshing to see a candidate who’s actively seeking our vote.