For Nation

If there's something positive to be said about the unusual circumstances surrounding the 3rd District state Senate race this year it's that Democrats have a rare opportunity to vote for someone who lives north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Rarer still, even though just 17 percent of the district's voters are in the North Bay, this individual has a good chance of winning.

We believe he should.

The candidate is former Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael, who represented Marin and Sonoma counties from 2000 to 2006 when he was termed out of office. During that time, Nation showed himself to be a clear-thinking leader for fiscal responsibility and bipartisan solutions to complex problems. Sacramento needs more people like him.

Given the heavy Democratic leanings of this district, it's almost certain that whoever wins this primary race will win the general election in November.

But before we go further, it's important to recognize that this race, first and foremost, is a referendum on the incumbent, Carole Migden, the subject of a number of politically embarrassing incidents of late.

Last May, there was the erratic driving escapade that began with her sideswiping a guardrail on Interstate 80 in Vallejo and ended with her rear-ending a car on Highway 12 in Fairfield. Migden ended up pleading "no contest" to misdemeanor reckless driving and was fined $710 and sentenced to two years of informal probation. After the accident, Migden blamed her erratic driving on medication that she had been taking to combat leukemia. CHP investigators had said a contributing factor was that she was talking on her cell phone and not paying attention to the road.

Then in March, the California Fair Political Practices Commission fined Migden $350,000, the largest penalty ever levied against a candidate for state office. The FPPC found Migden guilty of 89 violations of campaign finance law including improper personal use of campaign funds, failure to disclose campaign contributions and failure to timely report contributions and expenditures. Migden attributes the errors to staff inefficiencies and personal inattentiveness due to her battle against cancer.

We noted at the time that the case showed a "remarkable lack of respect for the public and the laws set up to ensure accountability . . ." Migden had already had two previous run-ins with the FPPC, having been fined twice before, in 2002 and 2006.

It's clear that many high-level Democrats, who are loath to turn against an incumbent, have also grown weary of Migden's antics. This was evident two months ago when more than 70 percent of the delegates at the state Democratic Convention voted not to give her the party endorsement.

Migden's explanations for her conduct, particularly in regard to the serious FPPC violations, have continued to be evasive and, at times, combative. We believe the 3rd Senate District deserves a change.

A third candidate in this race is Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, a bright and articulate progressive who knows his way around Sacramento.

Leno, a former chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, is at his best when he speaks about the the need for reforming state sentencing laws and protecting the integrity the California Public Records Act. But Leno too easily falls back on entrenched party positions when it comes to discussing major issues such as the state budget deficit and the need for economic development. Rather than focusing on solutions, it becomes a diatribe against the governor for cutting the car tax -- five years ago. Yes, that was a financial setback for the state. But the issue now is what do to about it.

We believe Joe Nation has the better answers.

As an economist and a climate change consultant, Nation comes with the right mix of credentials and experience -- at the right time. He advocates aggressive policies to reduce greenhouse gases while encouraging the development of green "CleanTech" industry in the state.

He also recognizes the need to reach across the aisle to work with Republicans in the Legislature and the governor to fix the state's financial problems. Nation suggests innovative approaches such as combining a vehicle license fee with incentives to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles.

It's clear that California is not going to resolve a $17 billion budget deficit without finding ways to increase revenue.

It's also clear that Sacramento lawmakers are not going to make progress on critical issues such as the economy, health ca..re reform and global warming by resorting to old-school polarizing politics.

Nation offers the best hope of getting away from all of that and getting something done.

The Press Democrat recommends Joe Nation in the June 3 Democratic primary.