Mark Leno

The California Fair Political Practices Commission released a report Thursday showing that independent expenditures on state races since 2001 have nearly topped $100 million, with more than $11 million being spent in the June 2008 primary campaign.

An FPPC report on independent expenditures noted that state laws that took effect on Jan. 1, 2001 limited direct contributions to legislative candidates, and similar laws took effect for statewide office candidates on Nov. 6, 2002.

The commission's chairman, in a press release, noted that such independent expenditures would seem to thwart the will of the voters, who enacted those contribution limits by passing Proposition 34 in November 2000.

Mark Leno’s win in the Democratic primary race for the District 3 state Senate seat was largely due to the overwhelming support from his San Francisco base combined with his success in winning votes in the Marin area, an analyst and a consultant for one of Leno’s competitors both said a day after the election.

With 100 percent of the vote counted, Leno, an Assemblyman from San Francisco, had 43 percent. Trailing was Joe Nation, a former Assemblyman from Marion, with 29.3 percent, and incumbent Carole Migden, with 27.7 percent. With minimal Republican opposition in the fall, Leno is almost certain to win the seat.

Perhaps most striking about Leno’s win was 57.1 percent vote pickup in San Francisco.

State Senate candidate Mark Leno has declared victory in the race for the District 3 seat, according to KPIX.

With just over 85 percent of the vote counted, Leno, a state Assemblyman, picks up 43.1 percent. Joe Nation, a former Assemblyman, trails with 28.5 percent. Carole Migden, the incumbent, trails with 27.7 percent.

With minimal Republican opposition, Leno is expected to hold the seat in November’s general election.

The seat spans the Marin, San Francisco, and Sonoma areas.

Before heading back to Washington, D.C., at the end of the Memorial Day recess, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) endorsed state Senate candidate Mark Leno at a Saturday rally in San Francisco.

“I’ve known Mark for a long time,” Pelosi said to cheers. “I’ve known about his leadership. I have confidence in him as a fighter for Democratic principles.”

Leno, an Assemblyman, if facing off in a Tuesday primary against fellow Democrats Carole Migden, the incumbent, and Joe Nation, a former Assemblyman.

“We have three candidates in the race and it’s just because of the superior confidence I have for Mark Leno that I am here today,” said Pelosi.

Just days before voters head to the polls for the June 3 primary, an independent expenditure is hitting the television airwaves with an advertisement slamming state Senate candidate Mark Leno on the issue of education.

“San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno Claims that he's for better schools,” an announcer says in the 30-second spot. “Yet in 2004, it was Leno who joined Republicans, and with one vote to spare, cut $3.1 billion from California schools. San Francisco and the North Bay lost $75 million in school funding. Leno's explanation: ‘Cutting the schools' money was the best deal we could get and I didn't lose my committee chairmanship.’ Mark Leno: Not exactly a profile in courage.”

The hits keep on coming in the race for the District 3 state Senate race, with Mark Leno today bashing Democratic primary rival Joe Nation on an issue he has made the heart of his campaign: the environment.

In a release, the Leno campaign accuses Nation of being close to corporations whose actions have been to the detriment of the state’s environment. The campaign attacks Nation for what it says is his support for selling bottled water flowing from Mount Tamalpais; for voting to weaken an alternative fuels bill; and for supporting a cap-and-trade bill that would accelerate pollution.

Nation, who served in the state Assemblyman from 2000 to 2006, has frequently mentioned during the campaign what he says is his commitment to environmental issues like global warming. He has also been quick to point out that in 2006 he was one of the authors of AB 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act and that has also worked with the environmental consulting firm ENVIRON.

With a week until voters in the San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma areas head to the polls in the race for the District 3 state Senate seat, Democratic primary rivals Mark Leno and Joe Nation are hammering each other on what both candidates say has been their opponent’s closeness with corporate interests.

In a Friday release blasted out to reporters, the Leno campaign names the independent expenditure groups working on Nation’s behalf, including the Civil Justice Association of California, the Cooperative of American Physicians, Californians Allied for Patient Protection, and Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy. The Leno campaign says that each of the groups oppose health care reform and aim to limit corporate liability.

The broadside earned a sharp-tongued response from the Nation side. “This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black,” said Nation adviser Jim Ross, who argued that Leno had accepted contributions from special interests in the banking and energy sectors, including Wells Fargo, Visa, and Migrant.

State Senate candidate Mark Leno led his Democratic primary opponents in fundraising over the last two months, fundraising reports released today show.

Leno, an Assemblyman, raised $372,506 between March 18 and May 17. Joe Nation, a former Assemblyman, took in $264,664. Embattled incumbent Carole Migden raised $192,648.

The three candidates are competing in a June 3 Democratic primary for the District 3 state Senate seat of Migden, which encompasses Marin County and parts of San Francisco and Sonoma counties.

The fundraising reports also show Leno with $159,514 in cash on hand heading into the final week of the campaign. Nation has $194,857 and Migden has $737,525.

State Senate candidate Joe Nation is out with a mailer targeting Democratic primary opponent Mark Leno on the issue of education, accusing the Assemblyman of voting for a bill that would result in cuts to public school funding.

“Mark Leno stood with republicans and said ‘Yes.’ In 2004, Mark Leno joined the majority of Assembly Republicans to cut education funding by $3.1 billion statewide, including $75 million for the North Bay and San Francisco. It was the largest funding cut to schools in California history,” the mailer states.

“The measure, SB 1101, passed with only one vote to spare, so Leno’s vote made a big difference in eliminating money that teachers and schools so desperately needed.” (Click here to see the mailer.)

State Senate candidate Mark Leno has won the endorsement of the San Francisco Chronicle, Northern California’s largest newspaper.

“Leno can be overly partisan at times, but he also can be pragmatic - such as he support for the health-care compromise crafted last year by Republican Schwarzenegger and Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. There are no questions about Leno's ethics, his diligence or his accessibility to constituents,” the paper said.

Leno, an Assemblyman, is facing off in a June 3 Democratic primary against incumbent Carole Migden and former Assemblyman Joe Nation.

The Chronicle has a daily circulation of 512,000.