Voters in the 5th Senate District, which stretches from Woodland to Vacaville to Stockton, have much at stake in the Nov. 4 election.
The mortgage crisis has hit the region particularly hard. According to data compiled from ForeclosureRadar.com, Senate District 5 had the state's third-highest foreclosure rate in the six months leading up to March.
If problems of vacant homes weren't enough, this low-lying district also faces flooding threats. It also is at the center of an emerging fight on how to move water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
If the 900,000 people of this district are to surmount such challenges, its voters will have to choose wisely. They will need a senator with a record of working with the Governor's Office and passing legislation. On that score, Democrat Lois Wolk is clearly the best choice.
Wolk, a teacher who has spent two terms representing the 8th District in the Assembly, has proved herself to be an effective legislator.
One of her major achievements last year was a bill to encourage regional planning of flood-control facilities, with limitations on new floodplain construction after 2015. While this bill wasn't as strong as we would have liked, Wolk battled the Building Industry Association for two years. In the end, she managed to pass a bill that will improve flood-control planning for the Central Valley and possibly save lives.
Wolk has also pushed legislation to prevent elder abuse and crack down on fraudulent mortgages. Her expertise in water issues would serve her district well in the Senate.
Wolk's opponent, Republican Greg Aghazarian, is well known in San Joaquin County, so this contest could be close. But Aghazarian, while amiable, doesn't have much of a track record to run on after his six years in the Assembly.
Wolk, by contrast, has passed bills and has developed a relationship with Darrell Steinberg, the next Senate president pro tem. The 5th District will need that clout in coming years. That's a key reason to vote for Wolk.
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