Election Watch: Local Assembly Candidates Are Starting Early

Nancy Skinner, who holds the 15th Assembly District seat (it includes Piedmont) will term out at the end of next year. Already, candidates who hope to step into her spot are revving up their campaigns for the June 2014 primary election.

Here's recent news from two candidates, both Democrats:

—Tony Thurmond, a former member of the Richmond City Council and the West Contra Costa school board, is hosting the Children's Future Forum: Engaging Our Kids in School tonight (Tuesday, June 4) 6 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA Teen Center, 2111 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. The forum includes school board members from several distrits, among them Jody London, who represents the Rockridge area on the Oakland school board. Info: http://www.tonythurmond.com/childrens-future-forum-1-rsvp

—Andy Katz, an environmental attorney and the current president of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's board of diretors, has received an early endorsement from the Sierra Club. Katz is, by the way, the former chair of Sierra Club California. He's also the government affairs director of Breathe California. Info: www.AndyKatz.com.

Looking forward to the 2014 election cycle? Or think it's too early to start campaigning? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.