Calif. Senate Approves June Presidential Primary
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The state Senate sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill Thursday that would delay the 2012 presidential primary in California from February to June.
Supporters said the bill, AB80, approved on a bipartisan 34-3 vote, would save the state about $100 million by combining the presidential sweepstakes with the regular statewide primary.
California had tried to increase its political influence by joining many other states in shifting its 2008 presidential primary to Super Tuesday in February 2008. However, the shift cost the state $97 million.
"Absent this law, California will have three separate elections" next year, said state Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, who carried the bill in the Senate. "This would be imposing a huge, gargantuan cost on the state."
Several Republicans objected that the presidential and state primary elections should have been consolidated into a March election to give California more clout in picking the Republican nominee next year. The timing of the primary would be unlikely to influence the Democratic field, where President Barack Obama is the presumed nominee as he seeks a second term.
California was "the big dog" among 16 states participating in the crowded Super Tuesday primary in 2008, said Sen. Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, and should stick with an early primary.
"While the state could save money, it's an expensive democracy," Anderson said.
The bill by Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, would conform California's primary next year with the revised rules of both major political parties.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
