There have been some interesting developments in the 18th Assembly race over the past couple of days.  GOP candidate Jill Buck is running against Mary Hayashi, a left-wing public health activist who only recently moved to the area.  On Friday, two of the local papers ran a front-page article announcing that Buck had been invited by Alameda Co. Supervisor Gail Steele, a Democrat, to attend a major Democrat event on Sunday (today)., the Hayward Demos Democratic Club Fall Festival.

Here’s an excerpt from the article that ran in the Tri-Valley Herald (FYI-the on-line version didn’t seem to have any punctuation):

"Neither Sundays hostess, Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele, nor club spokesman Harry Scott sees anything wrong with having the opposition present.

 If she appears, we wont object if she comes, said Scott.

I just think she needs to meet people, explained Steele. Buck requested a meeting with Steele last week. Steele, whos hosted the festival at her Hayward home since 1973, invited Buck."

 By Saturday, some of the left-wing folks in the party had begun to become unglued and accosted Jill Buck at a street fair on Saturday.  Word is that Sup. Steele was also getting major heat to uninvited Buck to the event.

After consulting with Steele, Buck decided not to attend the event and put the following release out this morning.

BUCK DECLINES TO ATTEND DEMOCRAT FALL FESTIVAL

Cites respect for Sup. Steele as key to her decision

Jill Buck, candidate for the 18th Assembly district, announced this morning that she will not attend the Hayward Demos Democratic Club 33rd Annual Fall Festival this evening. Buck was invited to attend by event host Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele.  

“I was honored to be invited to attend the Fall Festival. I was glad for the opportunity to meet more people in our community and have a chance to discuss campaign issues with voters,” Buck said. “However, when it became clear that Gail was being threatened by party activists, and that my opponent—who said she’d pull out as event auctioneer if I attended—and that a handful of activists were going to make the event uncomfortable for Sup. Steele, I decided not to go. I don’t want to cause her any problems, but I also don’t want to legitimize their bullying behavior by giving them what they want -which is for me not to go. It’s like raising kids – you don’t reward bad behavior.”

Buck continued, “I believe that the voters should have as much information about me and my ideas and policy positions as possible before Election Day. I think that voters are best served by having the opportunity to meet and hear both candidates, but my opponent and her supporters do not seem to agree. Frankly, I’m not sure what they are afraid of.”

Buck said that allies of her opponent, public health activist Mary Hayashi, told her on Saturday that the annual event would be cancelled or moved if she accepted the invitation to attend. Bob Swanson, staff member of Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, told Buck that Hayashi does not need to debate her or be seen with her at all before the election. According to Swanson, Hayashi’s strategy assumes the election was over when Hayashi, a relatively new resident of the district, squeaked out a win over Alameda Fire Chief Bill McCammon in the June primary.

Buck said that allies of her opponent, public health activist Mary Hayashi, told her on Saturday that the annual event would be cancelled or moved if she accepted the invitation to attend. Bob Swanson, staff member of Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, told Buck that Hayashi does not need to debate her or be seen with her at all before the election. According to Swanson, Hayashi’s strategy assumes the election was over when Hayashi, a relatively new resident of the district, squeaked out a win over Alameda Fire Chief Bill McCammon in the June primary.

Buck disagrees, saying, “It is disrespectful to the voters in the 18th Assembly district to say that the election was over last June. Every registered voter in this district has the opportunity to educate themselves about this race and every other issue on the ballot and make their vote count on Nov. 7th.”

Gloria Halman, a retired 32-year veteran with the Deputy Sheriff’s Department, Castro Valley resident and field representative of Democrats for Buck, said this handful of local activists was doing the voters a disservice.  “I was shocked and disappointed that Mr. Swanson behaved in such an unprofessional and aggressive manner toward Jill, particularly in front of the general public at the Castro Valley Fall festival and uniformed Deputy Sheriff’s officers nearby,” said Halman.

Buck concluded by saying, “I plan to attend as many voter education functions as I can before Election Day and invite all of the voters of the 18th district to contact my campaign if they’d like to meet me to discuss my plans to represent this great community in the State Assembly.”

Buck, the executive director of the Go Green Initiative, has been endorsed by a variety of local organizations, including chambers of commerce, city council members, school board officials and law enforcement groups.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 10th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.