One in a series on contested state Senate races on the primary election ballot.
This race is one of the most-watched in Democratic circles as two leading Democrats are facing off to represent this district, which covers some of the wealthiest enclaves in the greater Los Angeles area, including Malibu and Santa Monica.
Sen. Sheila Kuehl, who is termed out this year, currently represents the district and has endorsed Pavley.
Levine, a Van Nuys Democrat who chairs the powerful Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, has spent much of the last legislative session raising his public profile, carrying bills ranging from banning light bulbs to requiring the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats.
At least geographically, Levine faces an uphill battle. His Assembly district represents only 9 percent of likely voters in the race, compared to 49 percent for Pavley's former seat, according to a 2007 survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.
That survey was paid for by EdVoice, a Sacramento-based education advocacy group funded by the contributions of wealthy activists. EdVoice has already opened an independent expenditure account to back Pavley, putting in an initial $100,000.
Levine has the backing of area-Rep. Howard Berman, whose district director Levine endorsed for Assembly over his own ex-chief of staff. The 800,000-strong Los Angeles Federation of Labor is backing Levine in the contest, as is the California Teachers Association.
Pavley, D-Santa Monica, is the favored daughter of the environmental community, as the lead author of two landmarks bills in her six years in the Assembly. (She left office in 2006.) Pavley authored the automobile tailpipe emissions bill, which the state continues to fight over with the federal government, and was the lead author of AB 32, the greenhouse gas limits legislation, before Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez added his name as co-author.
The campaign is getting more heated as the two sparred over legislative "batting averages" – as in, who got more bills signed – in a recent Los Angeles Daily News story. In that story, Levine tried to tag Pavley as a one-issue candidate, saying, "Really she has not much else to talk about other than the environment."
Despite leaving office in 2006, Pavley has continued to show fundraising strength, opening up a $300,000 lead over Levine with $680,000 in the bank as of the latest filing period in late March. Levine had $347,000 after accounting for debts, still plenty to wage a campaign.
District profile: SD 23
Current member: Sen. Sheila Kuehl
Total registered voters: 463,330
Democratic: 50.31 percent
Republican: 25.01 percent
Declined-to-state: 20.48 percent
Registered Democrats, by county:
Los Angeles: 197,653
Ventura: 35,429
Campaign Web sites:
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine
Former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley
Lloyd Levine
Fran Pavley
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