SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When running for partisan political office, what usually counts most are simple things campaigns often can't control — especially in a low-profile statewide race.
Take an office like state controller or insurance commission, for example. Or even a slightly higher-profile post such as attorney general.
Regardless of all the analyses we've seen about last week's state elections, the outcomes mostly can be explained quite simply. They were determined by basic factors that are so obvious they hardly get mentioned.
