Super Dan wakes up a sleepy state senate race

Campy ad is not receiving a receptive audience; Newsom calls in CHP to restore peace in Oakland; Re-root the A's in Oakland, Vegas mayor says; Recall moneyman donates $20k to D5 supe candidate

Super Dan Kalb debuted a new campaign ad on Tuesday.

ELECTION 2024

27 days to Primary Day

7TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

—SUPER SEVEN HERO—It has been suggested by many that the only person capable of saving Oakland is Batman. Turns out, they already had Super Dan.

—Progressives are not the most humorous bunch and the competitive primary race for the Oakland and Berkeley 7th State Senate District has lacked panache for months.

—Dan Kalb’s state Senate campaign ended the doldrums on Tuesday with the release of a humorous, if not daring, 30-second ad that recasts the long time Oakland councilmember as his alter-ego Super Dan. (See video below.)

—It was becoming increasingly obvious the campaign needed to do something drastic to bring attention to itself and Kalb’s message, although social media users are panning the ad.

—At a candidate forum on Monday evening, Kalb appeared unable to make space for his message between his opponents delivering long harangues about their accomplishments.

—Kalb has a strong legislative history in Oakland and has raised more than $300,000 for this primary, the third-highest in the field.

—But Kalb is naturally not flashy. He has long burnished a wonky, academic guise on the Oakland City Council. So, the image of Kalb wearing an orange cape and superhero mask is definitely an attention grabber.

—In fact, there is precedent for this type of campaign move in East Bay political history. Like Kalb, former Hayward Assemblymember Bill Quirk lacked a cool factor.

—In the middle of a General Election matchup for Quirk’s first run for the state assembly in 2012, his campaign advisers determined they needed to recast Quirk as, well, quirky.

Then-20th Assembly candidate Bill Quirk used a disco-themed fundraiser in 2012 to makeover his dour image.

—So they threw a disco-themed fundraiser and dressed Quirk up in garish garb that included mustard yellow pants. The photo of Quirk flashing a Saturday Night Fever pose elicited more than a few WTFs in the East Bay at the time.

—Quirk won the 2012 race in a squeaker and served in the assembly until 2022. Of course, Kalb is facing a totally different campaign.

—Quirk was an experienced councilmember facing a political neophyte. Kalb is battling a primary field brimming with experience and accolades.

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