By Hillel Aron

Hey, wasn't this was supposed to be a Republican tsunami/tidal wave/other oceanographic metaphor?

Not in California, where Democrats are in the process of sweeping practically every important statewide race- and even most of the non-important ones too.

Debra Bowen was re-elected to a post that the LA Times calls “largely ministerial,” secretary of state. She'll continue to oversee the state's election process, after defeating Damon Dunn, an African-American Republican who had a brief stint in the NFL.

William Westwood Lockyer, better know as “Bill,” will hold onto his job as state treasurer, where he essentially acts as our state's banker. Good luck with that one Bill!

John Chiang returns to the glory that is being the state controller. How this position differs from that of treasurer is anyone's guess. Chiang got a bit of press a couple months ago when he investigated the city of Bell's finances. Better late than never!

And what manner of man dares assume the post of insurance commissioner? Why, it's Democratic Assemblyman Dave Jones, no relation to the lead singer of the Monkees. Jones defeated his Republican colleague, Assemblyman Mike Villines, who received $2.2 million from the insurance industry. Which is a bit odd, considering that the insurance commissioner's job is to regulate the insurance industry.

This last one represents a Democratic pick-up, for those keeping score at home.

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