Sonoma County could be campaign stop for Democratic primary

California’s relevance and the large Democratic field could mean several presidential hopefuls making stops here.|

A Kamala Harris rally at the Petaluma fairgrounds? A meet-and-greet with Bernie Sanders at Aqus Cafe? An Elizabeth Warren book signing at Copperfields?

California will have an outsize importance in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, and Petaluma could become a campaign stop for one or more candidates. California moved its primary to the coveted super Tuesday slot on March 3, 2020. But with early voting in the state, Californians could have ballots in their hands even before the Iowa caucus in February next year.

The potential record number of Democratic candidates and the early voting means the state will certainly be in play with multiple candidates clamoring for its windfall of delegates, political analysts say. Petaluma’s size, demographics and proximity to the Bay Area make it an appealing stop for the kind of campaign tour typically seen in Iowa and New Hampshire, said David McCuan, a professor of political science at Sonoma State University.

“California is not only an ATM,” McCuan said. “It’s front and center, and it’s ground zero for the anti-Trump movement. Voters will be inundated.”

The state has been known as an ATM for Democrats, McCuan said, since candidates could rely on deep-pocketed donors in places like Silicon Valley and Hollywood. But this coming election, we could see the kind of retail politics of other early voting states, especially when combined with visits to neighboring Nevada, which votes in late February.

“Candidates will be trying for a more intimate look, they’ll be pressing the flesh,” he said. “The dozen or more candidates will need to find a way to cut through the clutter.”

In 2016, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were the only two viable Democratic candidates, and California’s primary was in June, toward the end of the calendar. Still Sanders made a push for California’s delegates on a last minute swing through the state, including a stop in Cloverdale.

This year, 10 major candidates have already announced campaigns, including Harris who is from California, and more could still jump into the race. President Donald Trump so far faces one challenger for the Republican nomination.

McCuan said Petaluma voters include a coveted demographic - moderate Democrats who could decide the primary. The city is close enough to major hubs in the Bay Area and easy to visit for a candidate looking to make a quick stop.

“Petaluma has an appeal,” he said. “It is representative of how California is changing.”

The local Democratic Party is taking an interest in the early primary, said Scott Alonso, a Petaluma planning commissioner and delegate to the state Democratic Party. The Sonoma County Democratic Party, which had a headquarters in Petaluma in 2018, is gearing up to support local grassroots campaigns, he said.

“Looking north of the Golden Gate Bridge, folks should pay attention,” he said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening.”

Pat Sabo, chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party, said the group is planning on opening a headquarters much earlier in the 2020 political season than in past elections. She said presidential candidates could start visiting the state as early as November of this year in anticipation of a state convention to make endorsements.

Sabo said the local Democratic Party will likely invite some of the candidates to address voters.

“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we get candidates come to visit,” she said.

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)

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