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Monday, June 21, 2010

The Educated Guess � Key to Larry Aceves’ win is in the mail

The Educated Guess � Key to Larry Aceves’ win is in the mail

Key to Larry Aceves’ win is in the mail

Posted in 2010 elections
A secret to Larry Aceves’ surprise win in the primary election race for superintendent of public instruction? Slate mailers, the pay-to-play election campaign mailings run by political operatives.
Senior reporter Louis Freedberg of California Watch cites an analysis by veteran Republican commentator Tony Quinn in the California Morning Report(subscription-based) that Aceves’ name appeared in a key Democratic- and most Republican-targeted slate mailings. That was a smart move for a largely unknown, sharply outspent candidate running in the one non-partisan race for statewide office.

Slate mailers are the campaign fliers that come from official-sounding organizations like “Voter Information Guide for Democrats” and “Small Business Action Committee,” targeted at Republicans. They’re run by political operatives, usually affiliated with Republicans or Democrats, who charge candidates to have their “endorsements” on the mailer. Like better known Los Angeles State Sen. Gloria Romero and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson of Martinez, Aceves is a Democrat – but