SANTA CRUZ (June 2010) - The special election for State Senate District 15 takes place Tuesday, and expectations for voter turnout are low, due to the inconvenient timing and the fact that there is only a single race on the ballot. But the candidates for this seat couldn’t be more different, and we urge Central Coast residents to take the initiative and vote on June 22.

SantaCruzWire.com has offered the four official candidates free space to air their views on our site, and we are happy to report that Democrat John Laird and Independent candidate Jim Fitzgerald have submitted essays. We hope this helps clarify the issues at stake, and the differences between the candidates.