Democrats control the California State Legislature, which they’ve had virtually since the late 1950’s.

Earlier this year, Democrat legislative leaders openly hoped to pick up two seats in the state Senate and two more in the state Assembly in November. This achievement would give them the immense power of a two-thirds’ majority, enabling Democrat legislators to pass super-majority measures, such as tax increases, without “needing” any Republican legislators.

However, the lackluster support for the Democrats in close contests in the June primary election has me thinking Republicans may actually gain seats, not lose them, in November.

Of course, this is all predicated on voter turnout, and on those who volunteer for and donate to candidates. SaveCalifornia.com does not support or oppose candidates for public office, but encourages individual citizens to be politically active for the sake of good government. Therefore, I urge you to find the competitive contests in your area, research where the candidates stand on the issues, and then volunteer for the candidate that best matches your values.

Here are lists of close legislative contests in California. A “close contest” is defined as a Democrat-held seat where the Democrat candidates, combined, received less than 50% of the June primary vote, or a Republican-held seat where Republican candidates, combined, received less than 50% of the vote in June.

DEMOCRAT HOLD OR COMPETITIVE REPUBLICAN PICKUP

AD8 East Sacramento County: June primary results: Democrats 42.8%, Republicans 52.7%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Ken Cooley, Republican Peter Tateishi District information, candidate links

AD48 West Covina-Glendora: June primary results: Democrats 43.4%, Republicans 45.6%, No Party Preference 11.0%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Roger Hernandez (incumbent), Republican Joe Gardner District information, candidate links

AD49 Monterey Park-Arcadia: June primary results: Democrats 47.8%, Republicans 52.2%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Ed Chau, Republican Matthew Lin District information, candidate links

AD61 Riverside-Moreno Valley-Perris: June primary results: Democrats 44.6%, Republicans 51%, No Party Preference 4.5%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Jose Medina, Republican Bill Batey District information, candidate links

AD66 L.A. South Bay: June primary results: Democrats 40.5%, Republicans 59.5%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Al Muratsuchi, Republican Craig Huey District information, candidate links

DEMOCRAT HOLD OR LONG-SHOT REPUBLICAN PICKUP

These are districts where Democrat candidates, combined, received 50% or more of the June primary vote, but if Republicans fight hard they might take the seat (unless the Democrats fight harder).

AD9 South Sacramento-Elk Grove-Galt-Lodi: June primary results: Democrats 50.8%, Republicans 46.1%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Richard Pan (incumbent), Republican Tony Amador District information, candidate links

AD21 Merced County-parts of Stanislaus County: June primary results: Democrats 54.5%, Republicans 45.4%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Adam Gray, Republican Jack Mobley District information, candidate links

AD37 Santa Barbara County-Ventura-Santa Paula-Fillmore: June primary results: Democrats 56%, Republicans 44%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Das Williams (incumbent), Republican Rob Walter District information, candidate links

AD41 Pasadena-Sierra Madre-San Dimas-Claremont-Upland: June primary results: Democrats 58.6%, Republicans 41.4%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Chris Holden, Republican Donna Lowe District information, candidate links

AD43 Burbank-Glendale-La Crescenta: June primary results: Democrats 55.7%, Republicans 44.3%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Mike Gatto (incumbent), Republican Greg Krikorian District information, candidate links

AD57 Whittier-La Mirada-Hacienda Heights-La Puente: June primary results: Democrats 56.2%, Republicans 43.8%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Ian Calderon, Republican Noel Jaimes District information, candidate links | Local news coverage

REPUBLICAN HOLD OR DEMOCRAT PICKUP

AD32 Kings County-parts of Kern County: June primary results: Democrats 41.4%, Republicans 58.6%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Rudy Salas, Republican Pedro Rios District information, candidate links

INTERESTING DISTRICTS WITH LESS THAN 50% DEMOCRATS

AD4 Napa and Yolo Counties, with parts of Colusa, Lake, Sonoma, Solano counties: June primary results | District information, candidate links

AD7 Sacramento-West Sacramento: June primary results | District information, candidate links

“NO PARTY PREFERENCE” CANDIDATES

These are districts that you can call “question marks” or experimental or unpredictable due to the presence of a “No Party Preference” (NPP) candidate, which, for the first time, are allowed this year through Proposition 14, passed by California voters in 2010.

For example, if a “No Party Preference” is running against a Democrat, the “NPP” candidate could win by attracting — on the issues — Republican voters,  independent voters, and disenfranchised Democrat voters.

Assembly District 28 in the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County has both a Democrat and a “No Party Preference” candidate in the November runoff. June primary results | District information, candidate links

Assembly District 11 covering Fairfield, Vacaville, and the sprawling Sacramento Delta region) has a Democrat and a Republican facing off in November, but the “No Political Party” candidate came in a strong third and that candidate’s supporters could affect the outcome in November: June primary results | District information, candidate links

STATE SENATE COMPETITIVE CONTESTS

SD5 Stanislaus County-San Joaquin County-Galt: June primary results: Democrats 40.7%, Republicans 59.2%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Cathleen Galgiani, Republican Bill Berryhill District information, candidate links

SD27 Thousand Oaks-Malibu-Simi Valley-Santa Clarita: June primary results: Democrats 48.9%, Republicans 51.1%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Fran Pavley (incumbent), Republican Mike Zink District information, candidate links

SD31 Corona-Riverside-Moreno Valley-Perris: June primary results: Democrats 48.9%, Republicans 51.1%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Richard Roth, Republican Jeff Miller District information, candidate links

LONG-SHOT REPUBLICAN HOLD OR DEMOCRAT PICKUP

SD19 Santa Barbara County and part of Ventura County: June primary results Democrats 54.9%, Republicans 45.1%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson, Republican Mike Stoker District information, candidate links

DEMOCRAT HOLD OR LONG-SHOT REPUBLICAN PICKUP

SD39 San Diego-Coronado-Del Mar-La Jolla-Solana Beach-south of Escondido: June primary results: Democrats 56.3%, Republicans 43.7%
General Election Candidates: Democrat Marty Block, Republican George Plescia District information, candidate links

Again, you choose the candidate or candidates that best represent your values. But I urge you to volunteer, because volunteering with your interests or talents or skills is how you can make the most difference in an election year. Either volunteer directly for a candidate or develop and distribute your own material supporting a candidate or a slate of candidates (i.e. a voter scorecard).

Both Democrats and Republicans quote Edmund Burke, who, in 1795, wrote, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” This modern proverb is true and applicable to elections. But you should know that Burke was a British moral-values Christian, and would not want evildoers to use his words to rally their troops more than workers of righteousness in their communities.