State of California

In May, the Vanguard wrote a story saying “Most Elected Officials Avoiding the Krovoza-Wolk Fray For Now.”  At the time we wrote that “within the city of Davis, most elected officials have decided to avoid the fray.  The Vanguard was able to talk to nearly all of the elected officials and could identify just three committed to Dan Wolk.  However, one is his mother, Senator Lois Wolk, and a second is Cass Sylvia, the Public Guardian, married to Craig Reynolds, who is Lois Wolk’s chief of staff and Dan Wolk’s likely campaign consultant.”

That has changed and changed quickly.  We reported in May that Mariko Yamada, whose seat the two are seeking and a Davis resident, told the Vanguard in a statement that it was widely known that Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza was Yamada’s choice to succeed her.  With her candidate out, she indicated the race to be “wide open” and that she would not be making any early endorsements.

In a move, that figures to make waves in the burgeoning battle over the Assembly, the Vanguard received a release from the Wolk campaign indicating that Supervisor Don Saylor, a two-term former city councilmember and briefly Davis’ mayor had put his support behind Dan Wolk.

“Earlier today in a letter to his supporters, Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor announced that he is endorsing Davis Mayor Pro Tem Dan Wolk to represent the 4^th District in the California State Assembly. Saylor joins more than 80 other community, education, public safety and other leaders from all over the district supporting Wolk, including his colleagues on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, Mike McGowan and Jim Provenza,” the release stated.

Late last week, Lake County Supervisor Anthony Farrington announced via Facebook that he was dropping out of the Assembly Race for the Fourth Assembly District.  Supervisor Farrington, who had not announced any fundraising back in July, leaves a four-person race at this point for the seat vacated by Mariko Yamada.

Still in the race are two from Napa County and two from Yolo County.  Matt Pope, who is backed by Assemblymember Yamada as well as State Senator Noreen Evans for whom he works as a District Representative, and Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd are running from Napa County.  Davis Mayor Joe Krovoza and Davis Mayor Pro Tem Dan Wolk are running from Yolo County.

In what could be another defining moment in the burgeoning Fourth District Assembly race, Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza, himself at one point considered a frontrunner, announced today that he has endorsed Davis Mayor Pro Tem Dan Wolk for State Assembly.

According to a release from the Wolk campaign, “Provenza joins a growing list of more than 60 local elected officials in the 4^th Assembly District who have already endorsed Wolk.”