Former legislator and now state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell came to Bakersfield today to tout Fran Florez for the Assembly.

According to O'Connell's bio, he even once got both the Democratic and Republican nominations during an election.

But he's not being nonpartisan today. Instead, the Democrat was lending support to another Democrat.

Republican Danny Gilmore has made "career technical education" a mantra in his campaign, and Florez apparently wanted to respond. Both she and O'Connell used the phrase in their remarks today.

Neither Gilmore nor Florez have any direct education experience.

Gilmore, in his press release today, pointed to 35 educational endorsements he's picked up. He also tried to stake out territory as the Defender of the Valley. Both Gilmore and Wasco school board member Danny Rueda, in the release, said Central Valley education dollars have been routed to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

— James Geluso