When Bill Clinton spoke in the UCLA Sculpture Garden on Oct. 13
in support of Proposition 87, there was another politician in
attendance whose presence at the event was a little more obscure.
California Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D”“Los Angeles, was in
attendance at one of her countless stops during the campaign
season.
Former President Clinton, who is one of the few politicians with
the fanfare of a rock star, can show up to give a speech and be
greeted by thousands of faces and all the fundraising that comes
with it.
On the other hand, Kuehl, who represents the 23rd District,
which covers the Westwood community, operates without the same flow
of attention and resources.
Kuehl might not be a household name among her constituents, but
she is one of Los Angeles’ local politicians, helping to
raise money and support for the congressional and gubernatorial
races. Kuehl is one of the elected officials who are not facing
re-election in 2006, but are still campaigning with a stake in the
elections.
“Although I’m not up for (re-election), I’m
still campaigning,” said Kuehl, who has served as the 23rd
District’s state senator since 2000.
The country is peppered with hotly contested congressional
races, but California politics have centered around the
gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Democratic challenger Phil Angelides.
Much of the campaigning done across the state is at the hands of
local elected officials, such as Kuehl.
The state senate’s Republican caucus has also been
rallying support for Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, who is
running against Democratic incumbent Cruz Bustamante for the spot
of lieutenant governor.
Kuehl said she believes local officials and state senators,
along with assembly and city council members, have a chance to use
their own support to put behind another candidate.
But that comes with a risk of alienating one’s base.
“I don’t want to just call up people in my district
and ask for money,” Kuehl said. “There’s a trust
that is earned by supporting your platform and you don’t want
to go too far from it.”
Kuehl also cites limited resources as a reason that a state
senator or assembly member must be calculative in how he or she
campaigns. Kuehl estimates she only has 8,000 constituents who
donate to her office, hovering at around $150 per person, and to
spend time and money in a losing effort would not be a good
idea.
Kuehl, the first openly gay person to be elected to the
California Legislature, has been speaking with members of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in support of
Angelides.
Kuehl’s support of Angelides is part of a well-tested
political tradition of using support from colleagues to build a
broader voting constituency.
“Most people aren’t policy savvy enough to know the
difference between candidates on every issue,” said Barbara
Sinclair, a political science professor who specializes in
legislatures. “If local officials, who the voters know,
support a candidate, it can’t hurt.”
For the average voter, more intimate gatherings with local
officials might be more influential than the widespread campaigning
of Clinton and other nationally recognized figures.
“The chance to meet your local representatives and hear
them talk about candidates and propositions is more appealing to
me,” said David Chiba, a third-year chemical engineering
student. “Localized politics has a more honest feeling to
it.”