In East Bay Assembly Smackdown, Sbranti Beats Glazer

Update: 8:20 a.m. Wednesday: We've got a dead heat in the 4th Assembly District, with Republican Charlie Schaupp, a retired Marine and Yolo County farmer, one vote ahead — that's right, one vote — of Napa City Councilman Bill Dodd, a Democrat. That virtual tie, which gives them both 25.7 percent of the vote, will likely go away after the still uncounted mail-in ballots are tallied in the district, which includes parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

The third-place finisher is Dan Wolk, a Democratic city councilman in Davis and son of state Sen. Lois Wolk. He polled 24.6 percent of the vote but appears to be unlikely to overtake either Dodd or Schaupp to make it into the November general election.

Update, 1:30 a.m.: Catharine Baker and Tim Sbranti will advance to the general election in the 16th Assembly District.

In Senate District 10, Democratic Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski and Republican businessman Peter Kuo will advance.

Update, 10:15 p.m.: Republican Catharine Baker, the lone Republican vying for the 16th Assembly District, is leading the poll with 36 percent of votes. Tim Sbranti is in second place with 28 percent, and conservative Democrat Steve Glazer is in third at 24 percent.

Original post:

We're keeping our eyes on the three most fiercely contested legislative races in California.

Assembly District 16:

One theme in this primary is centrist versus more left-leaning Democrats, and the poster child for that dichotomy is Assembly District 16. Orinda City Councilman Steve Glazer, a self-described Jerry Brown Democrat, announced last year during the second BART strike that he supported a bill that would strip BART unions of the right to strike. Business groups have heavily backed his campaign. Glazer’s chief opponent is Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, a teacher and activist in the California Teachers Association. Labor unions are supporting Sbranti. Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich, claiming to be the one true independent candidate, is squeezed in the middle. The advantage may go to moderate Republican attorney Catharine Baker, who wants to make education her top priority, and could survive the primary to challenge one of the three Democrats in November.

Related: As Democrats Split Vote, Rare Chance Emerges for East Bay Republican

Assembly District 4:

Another race with a business/labor divide is Assembly District 4, the third-most-expensive legislative race in the state.  Business groups are backing Bill Dodd, a moderate Napa city councilman, with labor and the Democratic Party getting behind Dan Wolk—a Davis City councilman and son of incumbent state Sen. Lois Wolk. The negative campaign ads on behalf of those two shouldn’t obscure the record of Davis Mayor and Democrat Joe Krovoza. There are also two Republicans in the race, including Charlie Schaupp, a retired Marine officer and Yolo County farmer.

Senate District 10:

Perhaps the nastiest campaign in the Bay Area is the fight for an open seat in Senate District 10. Two Democrats have grabbed the headlines here. Ex-Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi has dubbed Assemblyman Bob Wiekowski “Bob the Bully” for circulating an edited video of Hayashi in the act of shoplifting more than $2,000 in merchandise from a Neiman Marcus store. She remains on probation. Wiekowski supporters have dubbed Hayashi “Mug Shot Mary.” Insurance agent and Republican Peter Kuo is the low-key beneficiary of this mudslinging.

For results from all legislative races, visit the Secretary of State website.