A look back at 2014 Elk Grove political mailers - What a difference 10 years makes

This year's Presidential election day is less than 80 days away. As we continuously hear from pundits, that can be an eternity where anything can occur. What about 10 years in politics?

If 80 days is an eternity, 10 years is an infinity.

With this in mind, we looked at our 2014 political advertising file to see what was happening. There were a few surprises and reminders of how quickly politicians can ascend or be blown away like dust.

Ten years ago, we saw an extremely competitive race between Elk Grove City Councilmember Jim Cooper and Sacramento City Councilmember Darrell Fong for the California Assembly. It was the first year in California, with the top two primary finishers facing off in the general election regardless of party affliction.

Cooper and Fong, Democrats with law enforcement backgrounds, were in a fierce battle. Cooper touted the endorsement of then Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis in an appeal to Elk Grove voters.

Cooper won, but Davis was out of office by the end of 2016 after he decided against seeking a third two-year term. Even though he tried to resurrect his career, it was all for naught, and Davis finally threw in the towel earlier this year when he terminated his campaign committee.

It is a lesson that all the local political hacks should remember. As Clint Black sang, "One day we're rolling in the clover, next thing we know, we take the fall."

If you asked Elk Grove voters who Gary Davis is, especially given the influx of residents in the last decade and a half, you would draw a blank look. Davis is gone and forgotten, if he was ever known, by most.

Another interesting example of tenacity in seeking elected office 10 years ago is the name Maggie Krell, which appeared in our files. Ms. Krell is now running for the California Assembly seat, which has been vacated by Kevin McCarty, who is running for Sacramento Mayor.

Krell, who had a real opportunity to win her Assembly race, was running against Ann Marie Schubert for Sacramento County District Attorney. The two were competing to replace Jan Scully, who ended her 20-year tenure as DA that year.

Much to our surprise was this envelope containing an endorsement letter distributed by the Krell for District Attorney campaign.

That's right. Kamala Harris, who was California's Attorney General, endorsed Ms. Krell, who at the time worked in the state attorney general's office (see letter below).

What is interesting is that 10 years ago, the name Kamala Harris was little known even in California. Nonetheless, Harris also won a second term as attorney general that year and successfully ran for U.S. Senator two years later, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Quick quiz: Without doing a search, does anyone know who Harris defeated to win her second term as attorney general?

So, as Kamala Harris stands on the precipice of the American presidency, we can't wonder how many of our local political hacks look at themselves in the mirror and think they're next. They could be the next Pete Buttigieg, moving from being a mayor of a city with barely 100,000 people to the upper echelons of government or, of course, the ascension of Vice President Harris.

We'll remind all these hacks that for every Buttigieg or Harris, there are tens of thousands of Gary Davis'. As Davis did in Elk Grove, they have their moment in the limelight but ultimately evaporate as quickly as a drip of water under the scorching summer sun.