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Phil Matier: Democrats Looking To Build Momentum At State Convention

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS SF/AP) - California Democrats head into their state party convention this weekend energized by the possibility that they will build on recent gains.

The party swept every statewide office in 2010, has continued to widen its voter registration edge over Republicans and has a chance to gain a two-thirds majority in the state Senate.

Yet this year also will give voters a chance to have a referendum of sorts on the Democratic approach to state government, as Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratically aligned interest groups seek to ask voters for tax increases. The success of those campaigns is anything but certain, with polls showing support for taxing the wealthy but no one else.

How Democrats will position themselves for November will be a big part of the San Diego convention.

KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier:

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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