Geography, not politics, hurts Central Valley candidates
By John Wildermuth Published 2:10 pm, Saturday, October 25, 2014

Mayor Ashley Swearengin’s biggest obstacle in her run for state controller might not be that she’s a Republican in a deep-blue state or a woman where men often dominate politics. Instead, it’s her Fresno address that could cause trouble.

In a state where the voting population, money and political clout flows from the densely populated cities along the coast, Central Valley politicians historically have had a tough time getting elected to statewide office.

“It’s difficult,” admitted Tim Clark, a consultant for Swearengin, who’s facing Democrat Betty Yee, a state Board of Equalization member from Alameda. “It’s a struggle to get known to donors, who are in places like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County.”

The only current state officeholder from the Central Valley is Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones of Sacramento. The last California governor from the state’s interior was “Buckboard” Jim Budd, a Democratic congressman from Stockton who was elected to the state’s top office in 1894.

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