Democrats Pitted Against Each Other In Expensive California State Senate Race

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Democratic Party has a 15-point registration edge in the 7th Senate District in the east San Francisco Bay Area, and a Democrat is likely to win the seat in May.

So why is a union-backed committee known for supporting Democratic candidates supporting a Republican primary candidate who dropped out of the race weeks ago?

Labor unions are trying to ensure that Steve Glazer, a Democrat who is seen as anti-union, doesn't defeat two other Democrats, Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla and former Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan.

Independent expenditure committees have pumped more than $2.1 million into the race, underscoring the high stakes.

Glazer is Gov. Jerry Brown's longtime political adviser. But unions turned against him after he challenged strike laws for transit workers and worked for a Chamber of Commerce-backed committee.

Republican Party