Editorial Editorial (March 12, 2004)

Last-minute hits backfire on Diaz

Although the Democratic primary for Mountain View's state Senate seat is decided, it's worth reviewing for the mistakes made, particularly by the losing candidate.

Two-term Assembly member Manny Diaz finished on the losing side after completing a campaign that misled voters and inappropriately attacked his opponent, winner Elaine Alquist.

Diaz, a former San Jose City Council member and current representative of Assembly District 23, first sent mailers that were aggressive but not atypical of political campaigns.

But then, less than a week before the election, voters were sent a letter signed by his ex-wife Ofelia, chastising Alquist for accusing Diaz of not paying child support. Alquist denies that she ever made references to his personal life in her campaign. Given her record and her lack of motivation to do such a thing and then deny it, we believe her.

There are even reports that another Diaz ex-wife, Maria, and not Ofelia, was the one who took him to court for missed child support payments. His campaign, which paid for the mailing of the letter, did not support nor deny that claim.

Earlier in the campaign Diaz sent another mailer, according to the San Jose Mercury News, quoting the newspaper's editorial that said "Alquist barely makes the minimum." The mailer was misleading, claimed the Mercury News in another editorial, because it had actually placed its assessment of Diaz's qualifications below Alquist's.

And when Diaz lost, he showed he wasn't a gracious competitor. According to Alquist's staff, he did not call her to concede until the morning after Election Day, even though losing candidates typically concede the night of the election.

Diaz fought hard to win the seat but his energy was misdirected. With the support of the California Democratic Party and many Sacramento lawmakers behind him, he had a serious chance of winning the primary. In fact, he received 45.7 percent of the votes to Alquist's 49.78 percent and would have fared better, perhaps even won, had he not offended voters with his strange and misleading mailers.

If Diaz hopes to have a political career after he leaves the Assembly, he should take more care with the message he's sending out to voters.

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