Politics & Government

Mike Hudson Wins Major Endorsement

The Contra Costa Times endorsement: A large newspaper in territory Hudson needs name recognition in.

Bemoaning what it called a "weak field" of candidates, the Contra Costa Times said it endorsed Suisun City Vice Mayor Mike Hudson for state assembly in the newly-created 11th Assembly District, complimenting him for his grasp of the public pension issue.

A chunk of the district is across the water in northern Contra-Costa County with cities like Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley and Discovery Bay. People there may not necessarily have heard of Suisun City or Mike Hudson, but the paper's endorsement may change that.

Michelle Kilmer-Connor, a campaign aide, said team Hudson was optimistic it could win the race against four Democrats -- with Jim Frazier as the big challenger -- and an independent, Len Augustine, former mayor of Vacaville.

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So many Democrats may dilute the liberal vote, giving Hudson, who is running as a conservative, a solid voting block that may be big enough to be the largest among the candidates.

The campaign is planning fundraisers in Vacaville and in Contra Costa County, areas dominated -- supposedly -- by other candidates.

Find out what's happening in Suisun Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here's what the Contra Costa Times said about Hudson:

"It's a disappointingly weak field. We were struck by the lack of depth and thoughtful answers on most issues from any of the candidates.

Hudson gets our nod because he opposes funding of high-speed rail and advocates for more water storage as part of efforts to protect the Delta. On a complex issue, Hudson stood out as the most knowledgeable about public pension costs and best demonstrated he understood the problem."

Despite the first paragraph, Hudson said the endorsement was a boost.

"I'm absolutely thrilled with it," he said.


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