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With Laird out, race is wide open for 27th District
 Natalie McKinney (right) lent her Ben Lomond house to Sen. Barack Obama’s supporters before Super Tuesday. Deidre DesJardins (left) took Rocky, her sulfur-crested cockatoo, for luck. At center is Alan Zisser of Scotts Valley. Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner
Laird’s third and final term ends at the end of the year, leaving his seat wide open for the five Democrats now running.
“I’m disappointed, because I think it’s one of the reforms we need,” said Laird, whose silver lining was that the Monterey Bay area, which makes up much of the district, favored the proposition.
Laird has no immediate plans except to work on the budget issues California is facing for the last 10 months he’ll be in office.
The proposition lost by a 53.6 percent to 46.4 percent margin, with all but 1½ percent of the precincts reporting.
While Laird’s time as an assemblyman draws to a close, the candidates for his position prepare for the November election.
“At the moment, I’m just gearing up and getting ready to roll,” said Felton resident Barbara Sprenger, also an organizer of Felton Friends of Locally Owned Water and one of the early favorites for the position.
Sprenger anticipates a three-way race with Santa Cruz City Councilwoman Emily Reilly and Monterey law professor Bill Monning.
“I think they are both good people, just with very different backgrounds,” said Sprenger, who has raised more than $100,000 for her campaign.
Douglas Deitch, a water activist, and Carmel chiropractor Stephen Barkalow are also running for the position.
Monning, who supported Proposition 93 to keep Laird in office, has raised about $75,000 for his campaign.
“I look forward to the prospect of the campaign taking a more public profile,” he said.
Reilly has raised almost $120,000 from more than 300 contributors.
“I want to continue John’s legacy of leadership in our community,” said Reilly, who pitches herself as a candidate whose experience can lead to solutions to the state’s woes.
Deitch is a single-issue candidate whose focus is on the water situation in the Pajaro Valley. Deitch is worried about how much water is shipped around the country in the form of agricultural products. He thinks solving water issues will help other facets of the community.
“My motivation is not to win this position, but to bring this issue to the forefront,” he said.
Barkalow could not be reached for comment.
Laird says he will not give his support to any one candidate.
“They’re all friends of mine and have worked with me and been supportive of me, so I think it’s hard to make an endorsement,” he said.
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