Before every statewide election for candidates, California officials postally mail an “Official Voter Information Guide” to all registered voters. In years when U.S. Senate is up, the Guide contains candidate statements and pictures for all Senate candidates who pay to be in the guide. This year there are 34 candidates on the June 7, 2016 primary ballot, for U.S. Senate. Only 20 paid to be in the book.
Twelve Republicans are on the ballot, but only seven of them are in the book: Greg Conlon, Von Hougo, Don Krampe, Jerry Laws, Tom Palzer, Karen Roseberry, and Duf Sundheim. The state charges $25 per word. A candidate’s web address is considered to be one word. If a candidate pays $25 to have a web address listed, then the state includes a picture, a postal address, and a phone number for free. So, for only $25, a candidate will be in the book but with no text except contact information and picture.
At the Republican state party convention in Burlingame on May 2, only eight Republican candidates for U.S. Senate addressed the body. Sundheim, one of those eight, criticized his opponents Tom Del Beccaro and Ron Unz for not having paid to be listed in the state book. The other Republicans who addressed the convention are Greg Conlon, Tom Del Beccaro, Von Hougo, Tom Palzer, Karen Roseberry, Ron Unz, and Phil Wyman. Unz was unable to appear in the book because by the time he decided to run, on the last day to file for the ballot, it was already too late to file to be in the book.
Seven Democrats are on the ballot. Those who are in the book are President Cristina Grappo, Kamala Harris, Massie Munroe, Herb Peters, and Loretta Sanchez.
Two Libertarians are on the ballot, but neither filed to be in the book. The only Green who is on the ballot, Pam Elizondo, is in the book and by random luck, is listed first in the book. The only Peace & Freedom Party member who is on the ballot is not in the book.
Eleven candidates are on the ballot with the label “Party preference: none”. Seven of them are in the book: Mike Beitiks, Tim Gildersleeve, Don Grundmann, Jason Hanania, Jason Kraus, Paul Merritt, and Ling Ling Shi. Grundmann is registered in the Constitution Party but he was not allowed to say that in the book. Paul Merritt said in his statement that he is a registered independent voter, but the Secretary of State censored that out of Merritt’s statement. Merritt is suing over that.
One candidate is in the book but is not on the ballot. He is Akinyemi Olabode Agbede, a Democrat. He is not on the ballot because his candidate filing fee bounced, but by the time that was known, the booklet had already been printed.
