The Establishment and the Carb: Coffee with Mike McGuire

Editor: Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Audrey Denney of Chico and Kyle Wilson of Santa Rosa are running for Congress to represent the redrawn District 1 that includes Butte County.

A couple of days ago, I received a text from the Mike McGuire campaign asking if I wanted to attend an event. I was curious about Mike, so I followed the link, where I found I had to “apply” to attend by providing my name and a sample question.

I filled out the form, providing various forms of identification. The question I submitted was: “Can he think outside of the box?”

​I hit “send” and waited.

​I am always a bit surprised to pass any sort of vetting process, whether it’s for a HELOC or a background check for a new job. Often, it results in bad news. But this time, the campaign foolishly approved my application and gave me the time and location for a “Coffee with Mike” discussion.

The Litmus Test of Political Carbs

​I arrived at the Community Center here in Red Bluff to find around 26 other people. Several of the men (including me) sported ponytails. Most of us were on the north side of the 50-year-old barrier.

You can always judge the professionalism of a campaign by the quality of the coffee and the deliciousness of the carbohydrates. Forget the propaganda leaflets; it is best to judge the quality of the treats.

​As my friend Bob said: “This is good coffee.” I agreed as I munched on a decadent chocolate muffin and a piece of blueberry breakfast bread. The carbs were delicious. This, for sure, would be a professional Establishment campaign.

​Then Mike introduced himself to the crowd. With his chiseled, youthful appearance, the guy looked like he had never eaten a carb in his life.

The Shadow of Proposition 50

​When Proposition 50 passed in California last November, it redrew congressional district lines to favor Democrats—a reaction to Republican gerrymandering throughout the nation. The First District of California had been solidly red for 50 years, and for the last decade, it belonged to Doug LaMalfa, who passed away unexpectedly Jan. 6. Doug was famous for voting with the party line 100% of the time; he also famously stated on national television that he couldn’t prove we actually landed on the moon.

​Because of Prop 50, the new District shifted from being a +24 Trump area to a +12 District for the Democrats. The lines were drawn by Democrats in the legislature. Among them was Mike McGuire—the president of the California Senate and the third person in line to succeed the governor-who announced he would run for the seat in November.

The Heavyweight vs. The Insurgent

​Mike is an excellent campaigner. He commands the room. He makes good eye contact and is respectful of his audience—even if everyone there was vetted. It was impressive that Mike chose to spend his first Saturday in the race in Red Bluff. Tehama County voted against Proposition 50 by a huge margin of 72% to 28%. He was brave to swim against that current.

​Additionally, he joins a race where Audrey Denney is the local favorite. Audrey ran against LaMalfa twice, once coming within 10 points—an incredible turnout for a Democrat in this region. Audrey has never held elected office, yet she raises millions while turning down all PAC and corporate donations. She is a proud progressive populist.

​So, as the race stands, we have Mike McGuire: a man in public office since age 19, representing the Establishment. On the other side is Audrey Denney: the popular, insurgent local candidate. Mike is from the plush wine country of Healdsburg; Audrey lives in Chico and teaches at Chico State. They are both young, smart, and ambitious.

The Question

​When Mike courted the crowd for questions, I raised my hand. I spoke sheepishly, though my words were pointed:

​“I don’t want to come across as overly hostile because I will support you 100%. But you are an Establishment politician, and some say Proposition 50 was designed specifically for you to get this seat. Now, my problem is that we have a popular Democrat in Audrey Denney who has built a reputation in this area. So, my question is: Why should we accept an urban politician to represent us, rather than having a rural populist be sold by Santa Rosa instead?”

Gulp.

​Mike took a step back and said, “I’m glad someone asked that question.” He went on to suggest I hadn’t done my research, asserting that he is a rural Democrat. He talked about growing up in a one-streetlight town and argued that people from Crescent City or Covelo would argue with my characterization of him as “urban.”

​But, as always, look for what the politician left unsaid.

​He didn’t argue against the premise that Proposition 50 benefited him. He didn’t argue against being a part of the Establishment wing of the Democratic Party. He is an insider’s insider.

​After his defense, he stated I could have the last word. It was a gracious moment. I politely declined. “I have caused enough trouble,” I told him.

Final Thoughts

​Mike McGuire is a talented man. He would be an excellent choice to represent the newly drawn First District. But so would Audrey Denney. Thank God we still get to choose our leaders in this country. On the Democratic side of the aisle, we have two good candidates. It is too bad that only one can win.

​Oh, and on my way out, I grabbed a delicious Danish. Establishment politicians always have the best coffee and carbs.

Dates were corrected in this column for accuracy.

This column was reprinted from writer Allan Stellar’s Substack here.