Trio of Democratic Assembly members oppose Maldonado as lieutenant governor

Similar stories:

• Republican takes aim at Maldonado

  Republican takes aim at Maldonado

  In one of the first shots fired in what is expected to be a heated campaign, a well-known Central Coast conservative is warning fellow Republicans to keep Abel Maldonado from being elected to Congress next year.

  San Luis Obispo financial planner Matt Kokkonen is urging people to sign a pledge opposing Maldonado’s race for the U.S. House of Representatives.

  Maldonado, a Republican former Assemblyman, state senator and, briefly, lieutenant governor, has announced his intention to seek the Congressional seat now held by Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara).

• Lois Capps, Bill Monning pick up endorsements from Tri-Counties Central Labor Council

  Lois Capps, Bill Monning pick up endorsements from Tri-Counties Central Labor Council

  State Senate candidate Bill Monning and Rep. Lois Capps, both Central Coast Democrats, have picked up endorsements for next year’s election from the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council.

  Capps is running for reelection in the 24th Congressional District. Republican Abel Maldonado, a former Assemblyman, state senator and lieutenant governor, has announced that he will run against Capps.

  Monning, an Assemblyman, is seeking the 17th District state Senate seat now held by Republican Sam Blakeslee.

• Blakeslee of SLO may not seek re-election

  Blakeslee of SLO may not seek re-election

  If the California Supreme Court upholds redistricting boundaries hammered out by a voter-mandated citizens’ commission, Republican Sam Blakeslee said he likely won’t run for a second term in November as state senator of the 15th District.

  A GOP-backed referendum to overturn the boundaries is pending at the California Secretary of State’s Office. It could qualify for an upcoming ballot, but probably not in time for the June primary or November general election. The Supreme Court this month could decide what Senate districts to use in those elections.

  If the court chooses the redistricting commission’s lines, Blakeslee’s district would include more of liberal Santa Cruz County while losing conservative-leaning northern Santa Barbara County.

• Editorial: Clear budget info from Katcho

  Editorial: Clear budget info from Katcho

  Add local legislator Katcho Achadjian to the small but growing list of state Assembly members who are doing the right thing by voluntarily releasing their office budgets for the current year.

  Achadjian earns extra credit for making his summary expense statement both comprehensive and easy to understand.

  Achadjian lays out exactly where his money comes from: There’s a base budget of $263,000 per Assembly member, and there’s an “augmentation” doled out by the Republican Party Caucus.

• Brown reports $1.7 million for his tax campaign

  Brown reports $1.7 million for his tax campaign

  Gov. Jerry Brown's campaign reported Tuesday that it has raised $1.7 million for his proposed November ballot initiative to temporarily raise California's sales and income taxes to help solve the state's ongoing budget deficits.