I heard Assemblyman Tom Daly say last week that the 65th Assembly District here in Orange County will be the Democrats’ second-highest priority in 2014. This is no surprise; freshman Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva narrowly beat incumbent Chris Norby in 2012. The Fullerton Democrat’s upset victory on the tails of Obama’s reelection gave her party its first legislative supermajority in 120 years.
The 65th Assembly District includes Fullerton, Buena Park, Stanton, La Palma, Cypress and west Anaheim. Party identification figures are tight, with Democrats accounting for 36.3% of registered voters while Republicans account for 35.9%. Among those who do not identify with one of the two major parties, Republican candidates traditionally have an edge. But despite her center-right constituency, Quirk-Silva will be running on a far-left record.