"Fluke is deeply concerned with women’s issues like reproductive rights and the pay gap, but she views her platform as pro-family rather than just pro-woman. 'I am focused on early childhood education because it gives caregivers time to invest in careers,” she said. “And the more effectively we invest in education, the better we can close achievement gaps and address concerns about paid and secured work when you take family leave.'"
The primary race for the 26th Senate District was anyone’s game, analysts predicted, and it proved to be a nail biter until the bitter end.
Though Democrat Ben Allen bolted to the lead and stayed there during the vote count Tuesday, activist Sandra Fluke climbed into the second spot — thus qualifying for the November runoff — late in the night.
Santa Monica school board member Ben Allen took first place in the race for State Senator with 19,710 votes or 21.82 percent. He will face Sandra Fluke in November who received 17,797 votes or 19.70 percent. Both candidates are Democrats.
The results from yesterday’s California State Senate race are in. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, social justice attorney Sandra Fluke was one of the top two vote getters and will move on to November’s general election. Fluke released the following statement:
“I am immensely proud of my campaign. I want to start by thanking the grassroots supporters who stood with me. We ran a campaign that shows what kind of elected official I will be: one who is accountable to the individuals who voted me into office, not to special interests. I want to thank the more than two thousand individual donors and volunteers who truly fueled this campaign. We had an incredible team..."
"My public fight with Rush Limbaugh doesn’t define me, but it does clearly show you the kind of leader that I am. I’m not focused on taking the easy path -- I will always fight back for what I believe, regardless of the personal cost."
Earlier today, I went on Ed Schultz’s show on MSNBC to talk about what this election means to me.
Fluke, a legislative advocate, was thrust into the national spotlight two years ago after Congress blocked her from testifying on women’s health issues. Fluke displays a sharp acumen for local issues and would carry a refreshing mantra to Sacramento: Making life easier for families, by increasing access to childcare and education programs as well as expanding services for veterans and struggling entrepreneurs.
[Fluke] may be young (she’s 33) and a first-time candidate for public office, but she has the spine and the know-how to take on Sacramento.
Her fast rise to national attention and the way she handled all the buzz was impressive. Even more impressive are her clear and thoughtful ideas on policy. If elected, she said she would focus on issues such as water conservation measures, easing congestion on Los Angeles’ Westside, expanding Hollywood tax credits, and coastal preservation.
The Santa Monica Daily Press sent candidates for State Senate a list of four questions. Below are the responses from Sandra Fluke, covering topics from the Santa Monica Airport to affordable housing.
This month, we sat down with Sandra Fluke, a young progressive running for State Senate in California’s 26th District. While you may remember her as the target of controversy a few years ago when, as a Georgetown Law student, she gave testimony before Congress on the topic of comprehensive insurance coverage for reproductive health, Sandra has turned her political convictions to a new arena.
Sandra Fluke is six days from finding out if her fame as the woman Rush Limbaugh branded a “slut” translates into political currency in California.
Fluke, denounced by the talk-show host for testifying in favor of requiring employers to cover birth control, is trying to capitalize on the incident without being defined by it in her first run for office. Voters are surprised to learn she’s the daughter of an evangelical pastor, she said, “because that’s not the Sandra Fluke of the Rush Limbaugh situation.”
