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Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, came home to the most gorgeous weather – and the cheeriest group of well-wishers when she and Loni Hancock, a candidate for the state Assembly, appeared at their joint campaign office on Saturday. 

“I could not have wished for a better day to walk the streets of Berkeley,” said Patrick Campbell, a Hancock staffer and former Associated Students of the University of California president, as he exhorted around 40 Hancock and Lee supporters to spend the afternoon going door to door. 

The get out the vote effort was held at the joint Lee-Hancock HQ at 2472 Shattuck Ave. and was planned in coordination with a recent mailer called “the East Bay’s Progressive Team.” 

“This district is very important in terms of progressive politics,” Lee said. “We need to send a message to Sacramento and the rest of the country that we still prefer to build schools over prisons, health care over bombs.” 

“Loni will embrace this in the assembly, just as she has embraced it all her life.” 

Lee is heavily favored over Kevin Green in her 9th district congressional bid. Hancock, on the other hand, faces stiff competition from Charles Ramsey, an El Cerrito attorney and member of the West Contra Costa school board, and Dave Brown, former chief of staff for Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker. 

“This race is not going to be a slam-dunk,” she said. “I have two very well-funded opponents and only three weeks left (before the March 5 primary).” 

Hancock emphasized her commitment to progressive positions on education, the economy and the environment in a short speech to her troops.