Perata Cutting Deals in Monterey?

Over at the California Progress Report, writer Robert Cruickshank raises a fun question. The state senate district that encompasses Monterey and its environs is clearly Democrat territory, yet it’s being represented by Republican Abel Maldonado. The senator doesn’t have the most reactionary reputation in California, but he’s got just enough of a anti-labor voting record to make him a little vulnerable. So why didn’t a single Democrat sign up to challenge him this year?