Despite having a massive financial advantage and the backing of powerful Democratic Party and union allies, Santa Rosa Assemblyman Michael Allen lost his bid for another term to a relative political unknown.

In his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Mike Allen, San Rafael City Councilman Marc Levine, also a Democrat, has strengthened his lead. But Allen is not conceding the race, despite Levine’s declaration of victory and the consistent lead he’s held since Election Day.

San Rafael City Councilman Marc Levine declared victory Wednesday in his upset bid for the new North Bay Assembly seat, but Assemblyman Michael Allen would not concede the bitter battle that pitted two Democrats against each other. With tens of thousands of uncounted ballots in Sonoma and Marin counties, the final tally may not be decided for weeks. But Levine expressed confidence Wednesday that his narrow 1,663-vote lead over Allen would hold up.

Two independent expenditure committees poured in nearly $500,000 to support Michael Allen in the waning days of his campaign against a fellow Democrat for a newly-drawn state Assembly seat, records show.
The Peace Officers Research Association of California kicked in $252,000, and the California Alliance put in another $238,000.
The alliance is comprised of consumer attorneys, conservationists and nurses. The money was spent on television ads opposing Marc Levine, who on Friday criticized the expenditures.

The race in a newly created state Assembly district that ecompasses part of Sonoma County and all of Marin County is starting to heat up in one of the few contests statewide to feature two Democrats running against each other. Assemblyman Michael Allen and his challenger, Marc Levine, earned the right to compete for the 10th Assembly District under California’s new top-two primary system. The race has gained attention in part because it is one of about two dozen in the state pitting members of the same party against one another in the general election on Nov. 6.

Of all the Sonoma County votes that went to Democrats in the 10th Assembly race, 57 percent of them went to someone other than Assemblyman Michael Allen. In Marin County, 63 percent went to Democrats other than Allen.