The top endorsement highlighted by former Assemblywoman Wilma Chan in her campaign for state senate District 9 is chairman of the Ethiopian American caucus. The 9th District is one-quarter black, 19 percent Latino and 17 percent APA (2000 Census numbers). It covers cities like Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda. Chan, who was termed out of her Assembly seat, launched an e-mail campaign just after the Martin Luther King holiday … CHAN-GRAMS: Chan is hustling for 1,500 supporters and donors even though her election isn’t until June 2008 to succeed termed-out state Senate president Don Perata. She’s already rolling in APA endorsements of Congressmen David Wu (D-Wash.), Assembly members Alberto Torrico, Mike Eng, Fiona Ma, Controller John Chiang, Board of Equalizer members Judy Chu and Betty Yee, Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker, Oakland Vice Mayor Jean Quan and Oakland Councilmember Henry Chang. … OF COURSE: The chairman of the Ethiopian American caucus is none other than Spanish-speaking Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.).
FRIENDS AND FOES: What’s going on with the longtime feud between San Francisco/San Mateo locals, Assemblywoman Ma and state Senator Leland Yee? They’re both climbing the legislative ladder and looking for top leadership positions in 2008 (when both Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senate top dog Perata are termed out). Insiders say there have been initial peace gestures. YELLOW VS. YELLOW: Ma took a big step in increasing her leverage over Yee this month when her slate of candidates took over the recent 12th Assembly District California Democratic Party caucuses.
Yee also took a bath against Assemblyman Gene Mullins in the 19th District party (San Mateo County) caucus.
Still, Yee landed a plumb assignment in the Senate as member of the powerful appropriations committee and also as assistant president pro tem.
So all of Fiona Ma’s fiscal bills will still have to get run by Yee when they head to the Senate.
Meanwhile, Majority Whip Ma will be counting votes for any of Leland’s bills.