Salinas produce broker Shawn Bagley goes from political operative to candidate.

On Aug. 15, his 63rd birthday, Shawn Bagley was working a room of eight loyal Democrats, trying to drum up support for his campaign for State Senate. Over coffee and bagels, he offered up reasons he thinks he stands a chance to beat incumbent State Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, despite Cannella’s 28-point primary win and massive fundraising advantage of nearly $400,000.

“[The agriculture industry] is backing a civil engineer. Wouldn’t they rather have a produce guy? Ag needs to have an ag guy in Sacramento who knows the truth about broccoli, honeydews, asparagus,” Bagley said.

Bagley is retiring from a career as a produce broker, but he’s failed to secure prized endorsements from industry leaders. “This is what I say about ag. Driscoll, Tanimura & Antle, the D’Arrigos – they know me,” Bagley said. “I remind them, I have done millions of dollars of business with them over the years.”

When a supporter voiced concern about the lack of ag backers, Bagley offered this reassurance: “The only way I get them is to win and be the senator.”

Winning isn’t likely, and Bagley is an unlikely candidate. He entered the race late, after Central Valley Dem Thomas Hallinan, an attorney, backed out.

“The alternative was nobody on the ballot,” Bagley says.

This is Bagley’s first run at public office, though he’s been a long-time activist working behind the scenes. He was a super-delegate at the Democratic National Convention in 2008 and helped bring U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Carmel for a 2012 fundraiser.

Senate District 12 has a 14-point Democratic advantage among registered voters, but Cannella, a moderate Republican, defeated former Salinas mayor Anna Caballero, a Democrat, in 2010.

“The registration disparity also existed the first time he ran, and underscores how he’s able to approach issues in a way that has appeal across partisan lines,” Cannella campaign press secretary Sabrina Lockhart says.

Cannella is the only Republican to earn the endorsement of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, which traditionally shares its Salinas office with Democrats for campaign activities. That leaves Bagley without a hometown campaign office. Instead, supporters will work from the Seaside Center for Change, calling all counties in the vast district.

It’s one of three battleground districts Democrats are vying for to regain a supermajority in the state Senate, a position lost because of criminal charges against Dem senators Leland Yee, Roderick Wright and Ron Calderon.