Local Leaders Denounce Deceptive Attacks by Allen Campaign

In response to an unprecedented barrage of deceptive ads and mailers attacking local Assembly candidate Marc Levine, prominent local leaders from Marin and Sonoma have united to denounce Michael Allen and Sacramento interest groups for their cynical campaign strategy.

Allen has spent more than $1.5 million on a negative campaign attacking Levine. The negative onslaught began more than five weeks before the election.

In the latest string of negative mailers, Allen has attacked Levine for accepting campaign donations from local business, although in truth it is Allen who has accepted more than $100,000 from corporate interests, including banking, insurance and chemical companies.

Allen has also deceptively attacked Levine for accepting an invitation to speak to a group of local Republicans, falsely claiming that Levine was attending a pro-Romney rally, when Marc was only reaching across the aisle to talk about the assembly race. In fact, Marc worked for the Obama campaign in 2008 in the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Levine, a San Rafael City Councilmember, is waging a strong campaign for the open 10th Assembly District seat. He has garnered support from many local officials including the Mayors of Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Novato, Ross, Sausalito and Larkspur, and many other elected and community leaders.

Allen, an Assemblymember who currently represents a Napa-centered district, recently moved to San Rafael to run in the 10th District. Allen has received more than 90 percent of his funds from Sacramento interests, and has spent it on negative campaigning in a desperate attempt to distract voters from his own blighted history. Last year Allen was fined by the state ethics commission for a conflict of interest violation, and has been dogged by other ethics problems.                                                                                                                                    

Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders:

“Don’t be deceived by Sacramento power players trying to bully us into voting for their insider. I have received so many mailers attacking Marc Levine. I am shocked by the amount of money being spent to keep the status quo. Join me in voting for Marc Levine. He’s a strong representative from our local government, not an outsider who was moved in to represent us.”

Petaluma Councilman Mike Healy:

“Like many Petaluma citizens, I’m offended by the false, negative and incredibly simple-minded attacks against Marc Levine. It’s beyond any negative campaign we’ve seen. The Sacramento interests backing Michael Allen show no respect for the intelligence of local voters. I’m a lifelong Democrat, but we need legislators who can work with voters of all parties, not just vilify them. I’m confident that North Bay voters will see through these gutter-level attacks and elect Marc Levine.”

Marin Sheriff Robert Doyle:

“Don’t be fooled by the negative campaign against Marc Levine. Outside interests are funding false attacks so that they can keep the status quo.”

Larkspur Councilman Larry Chu:

“This shameless negative campaign against our local candidate is just another example of Sacramento riding roughshod over local concerns. It’s telling that the League of California Cities gave Michael Allen the lowest rating of any legislator on votes impacting local governments. In this assembly race, Sacramento is trying to bully and defame a local city-councilman. Please stand with me in opposing these false attacks.”