Former gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly said unequivocally in an interview Tuesday that he’s not running for office next year and instead will be “dedicated to being the best father I can be.”  This according to the Sacramento Bee today.

Speculation has bubbled that the Democratic former eBay executive might jump into next year’s gubernatorial race. Last month, former San Francisco Mayor and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown raised the question yet again in his regular column in the San Francisco Chronicle.

So far, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is the only declared Democratic candidate, although Attorney General and former California Gov. Jerry Brown is widely expected to announce his candidacy. The Republican field so far feature former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Congressman Tom Campbell.

Westly, however, made it clear that he’s not interested…at least this time around.  “I will run for state governor or another office,” Westly said. “But not in 2010.”

Former gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly said unequivocally in an interview Tuesday that he’s not running for office next year and instead will be “dedicated to being the best father I can be.”  This according to the Sacramento Bee today.

Speculation has bubbled that the Democratic former eBay executive might jump into next year’s gubernatorial race. Last month, former San Francisco Mayor and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown raised the question yet again in his regular column in the San Francisco Chronicle.

So far, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is the only declared Democratic candidate, although Attorney General and former California Gov. Jerry Brown is widely expected to announce his candidacy. The Republican field so far feature former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Congressman Tom Campbell.

Westly, however, made it clear that he’s not interested…at least this time around.  “I will run for state governor or another office,” Westly said. “But not in 2010.”

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on national television today he would not be running for California governor in 2010 after flirting with a bid for higher office for months.

Elected to a second, four-year term in March, the mayor told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he wanted to devote his full attention to Los Angeles, which is facing its worst fiscal crisis in decades.

Villaraigosa’s decision adds a dash of clarity to the race for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination which, at the moment, appears will be between state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Source:  Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2009

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on national television today he would not be running for California governor in 2010 after flirting with a bid for higher office for months.

Elected to a second, four-year term in March, the mayor told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he wanted to devote his full attention to Los Angeles, which is facing its worst fiscal crisis in decades.

Villaraigosa’s decision adds a dash of clarity to the race for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination which, at the moment, appears will be between state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Source:  Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2009

State Attorney General Jerry Brown, the former two term governor, all but announced his candidacy for governor today with a fund raising appeal sent to his supporters. The email included what will likely be his theme. “This state is desperately in need of creativity and new ideas. The state also needs…the know-how and experience to get this impossible job done.”  In these tough times, calling for know-how and experience in the state’s top executive spot is smart — and is certainly nothing that any of the others interested can claim.

Editor Dennis Wyatt says, “Jerry Brown was right. Thirty-one years ago when Brown ended his second term as governor of California he not only had reduced taxes but had built up the largest state surplus ever. On his watch, California created 1 out of every 4 new jobs in the nation. He also was the trailblazer for building and energy appliance standards as well as solar and alternative energy. How did Brown do it? Simple. He refused to spend money like a fleet of sailors on a 48-hour leave after two years on the high seas. If California had continued to move forward at the end of Brown’s first go around as governor using his discipline and out-of-the-box thinking it is doubtful we’d be going through much of the pain that we are today.”

As another writer recently put it, “All you need to know about who California Democrats really are can be found on Jerry Brown’s Wikipedia page. He is us. His values are the sort I grew up with — and, boy, the similarities are uncanny. You see, what we have here is the curious mix of seasoned spirituality, environmentalism, brains and quirkiness — plus that ROGUE fighting spirit that Californians are known for… This is a Californian who could be Steinbeck’s Tom Joad when it comes to agriculture in our state — and believe me he is going to care about water. Jerry Brown is the kind of Californian who would be as comfortable camping in the Sur’s forests as he would be at the swankiest Nob Hill soiree… He’s the real California NEW DEAL.”

For more info:
http://www.jerrybrown.org
http://www.facebook.com/jerrybrown
http://www.twitter.com/jerrybrown2010

State Attorney General Jerry Brown, the former two term governor, all but announced his candidacy for governor today with a fund raising appeal sent to his supporters. The email included what will likely be his theme. “This state is desperately in need of creativity and new ideas. The state also needs…the know-how and experience to get this impossible job done.”  In these tough times, calling for know-how and experience in the state’s top executive spot is smart — and is certainly nothing that any of the others interested can claim.

Editor Dennis Wyatt says, “Jerry Brown was right. Thirty-one years ago when Brown ended his second term as governor of California he not only had reduced taxes but had built up the largest state surplus ever. On his watch, California created 1 out of every 4 new jobs in the nation. He also was the trailblazer for building and energy appliance standards as well as solar and alternative energy. How did Brown do it? Simple. He refused to spend money like a fleet of sailors on a 48-hour leave after two years on the high seas. If California had continued to move forward at the end of Brown’s first go around as governor using his discipline and out-of-the-box thinking it is doubtful we’d be going through much of the pain that we are today.”

As another writer recently put it, “All you need to know about who California Democrats really are can be found on Jerry Brown’s Wikipedia page. He is us. His values are the sort I grew up with — and, boy, the similarities are uncanny. You see, what we have here is the curious mix of seasoned spirituality, environmentalism, brains and quirkiness — plus that ROGUE fighting spirit that Californians are known for… This is a Californian who could be Steinbeck’s Tom Joad when it comes to agriculture in our state — and believe me he is going to care about water. Jerry Brown is the kind of Californian who would be as comfortable camping in the Sur’s forests as he would be at the swankiest Nob Hill soiree… He’s the real California NEW DEAL.”

For more info:
http://www.jerrybrown.org
http://www.facebook.com/jerrybrown
http://www.twitter.com/jerrybrown2010

Via Timm Herdt at the VC Star, there’s been an interesting development in the game of musical chairs that is the Governor and Lieutenant Governor races. Despite little previous mention of Jack O’Connell’s name in association with the Lieutenant Governor’s race, Willie Brown’s influential column in the SF Gate suggests not only that O’Connell might join the race, but that he would be essentially unchallenged should he choose to do so:

[Newsom] certainly couldn’t beat the incumbent, Democrat John Garamendi, although Garamendi is making noises about running for governor himself. But even if Garamendi is out of the lieutenant governor’s picture, Newsom will still be up against it if state schools chief Jack O’Connell jumps into the Democratic primary.

O’Connell may not have the name recognition of a Gavin Newsom, but he has deep roots within the party statewide.

Willie Brown may have an inside scoop here. If O’Connell were to run and win the Lieutenant Governor’s seat, it would serve to marginally increase the influence of public education’s interests in the state government. Perhaps more importantly, it would give more influence to the Central Coast than it has perhaps had since Santa Barbara native Ronald Reagan won the governorship.

O’Connell, of course was CA State Senator for the 18th District for 8 years (1994-2002), and the Assemblyman for the 35th District for the 12 years previous to that. O’Connell knows the issues of the Central Coast extremely well, and would be in an excellent position to give more attention to the area not only in terms of policy and funding, but also in terms of elections to unseat the likes of Maldonado and the Stricklands, who are entirely unrepresentative of the areas they serve.

It will be interesting to see where the major players in California are seated when the game of musical chairs is over.

Via Timm Herdt at the VC Star, there’s been an interesting development in the game of musical chairs that is the Governor and Lieutenant Governor races. Despite little previous mention of Jack O’Connell’s name in association with the Lieutenant Governor’s race, Willie Brown’s influential column in the SF Gate suggests not only that O’Connell might join the race, but that he would be essentially unchallenged should he choose to do so:

[Newsom] certainly couldn’t beat the incumbent, Democrat John Garamendi, although Garamendi is making noises about running for governor himself. But even if Garamendi is out of the lieutenant governor’s picture, Newsom will still be up against it if state schools chief Jack O’Connell jumps into the Democratic primary.

O’Connell may not have the name recognition of a Gavin Newsom, but he has deep roots within the party statewide.

Willie Brown may have an inside scoop here. If O’Connell were to run and win the Lieutenant Governor’s seat, it would serve to marginally increase the influence of public education’s interests in the state government. Perhaps more importantly, it would give more influence to the Central Coast than it has perhaps had since Santa Barbara native Ronald Reagan won the governorship.

O’Connell, of course was CA State Senator for the 18th District for 8 years (1994-2002), and the Assemblyman for the 35th District for the 12 years previous to that. O’Connell knows the issues of the Central Coast extremely well, and would be in an excellent position to give more attention to the area not only in terms of policy and funding, but also in terms of elections to unseat the likes of Maldonado and the Stricklands, who are entirely unrepresentative of the areas they serve.

It will be interesting to see where the major players in California are seated when the game of musical chairs is over.