Wilson campaign looks ahead to November in 15th Assembly race

His narrow primary victory in the books, San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson is looking ahead to what many expect will be a tough fight to represent California's 15th Assembly District,

By a little over 200 votes, Wilson triumphed over small businessman Robert Rao of Livermore in the GOP primary, and will now face Democratic winner Joan Buchanan, a San Ramon Valley Unified School District trustee.

That matchup favors the Republican, said Matthew Del Carlo, Wilson's campaign manager.

"I think Abram Wilson is the one candidate Joan didn't want to go against," Del Carlo said, describing how Wilson has support from elected officials across the district, including some of Buchanan's colleagues on the San Ramon school board.

Del Carlo said he believed 15th District voters would be most concerned about transportation, education and public safety when they examined candidates.

Budget issues, particularly with the state in a deep deficit, will also resonate, he said. He pointed out that when Wilson took over as San Ramon's mayor, that East Bay city was in poor financial shape.

"Now they've got a rainy day fund set up, and there's a lot of new construction in downtown San Ramon with public-private partnerships that Abram Wilson pushed for," Del Carlo said. "He'll help connect cities and counties to what's going on in Sacramento."

Rao, who said he plans to support Wilson's campaign, said Republicans have an advantage because of tough economic times.

"The average family is really struggling, and Democrats are talking about raising taxes," Rao said of the proposed state budget released this week. "The time is now here where we have to run the state like a disciplined business."

Currently represented by Guy Houston (R-Dublin), the 15th Assembly District is a top target for state Democrats because registration there has tilted that party's way in recent years.

Stretching over four counties, the 15th encompasses moderate suburban areas in the Bay Area and the Central Valley, as well as much of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta.

Del Carlo said the race won't get any easier between now and November 4.

"We're going to take it seriously, and we're going to fight as hard as possible," Del Carlo said. Wilson launched a campaign Web site for the first time earlier this week.

Rao, who said he spent two years in preparation for a run for office, said he's unsure of his future plans.

Though he's focused on supporting Wilson's race, he said, if Buchanan were to win, Rao wouldn't rule out the option of running again in the future.

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