California primaries show Democratic divide on education
IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER!
(Reuters) - Democratic candidates backed by teachers unions narrowly lost on Tuesday in two California state assembly primary races that highlighted a bitter split in the Democratic Party over education policy.
The most contentious race was in Assembly District 46, a heavily Democratic swath of Los Angeles suburbs.
Wealthy philanthropists, hedge-fund managers and internet entrepreneurs - bound together by a common goal of overhauling public education - spent an eye-popping $1.4 million to bolster the candidacy of Brian Johnson, a Democrat who until recently ran a network of charter schools.
The California Teachers Association fought back with nearly $500,000 in spending to attack Johnson and support a rival Democrat, Andrew Lachman.
The union help was not enough, however, to boost Lachman to victory. A third Democrat in the primary race, Adrin Nazarian, comfortably captured first place. Second place remained too close to call late Wednesday afternoon, with Johnson just 83 votes ahead of a Republican candidate, Jay