And then there was one:
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom dropped out of the California governor’s race Friday, leaving no clear challenger in the Democratic field to the former governor and current state attorney general, Jerry Brown.
“It is with great regret I announce today that I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California,” Newsom said in a statement released late Friday afternoon. “With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to – and should be – done.”
I suppose this isn’t a huge surprise – Brown led in all the polls and had been swamping Newsom in fundraising. Still, I would have given Newsom at least something of a shot just by virtue of being the only alternative to the septuagenarian former governor. Given how brutally ungovernable California often appears to be, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if, at this point, Brown winds up sailing through to the nomination – I just can’t imagine a lot of people clambering to occupy the California statehouse.
that Jerry hasn’t officially announced yet, so right now there are no Democratic candidates running for Governor. Nobody for Guv is leading the entire GOP field, too.
I can understand why being CA Governor right now isn’t the most desirable job, but really…
There are a lot of people I would rather see as Gov than Jerry, but for whatever reason they are not running. Among those would be two excellent statewide officials who are running for reelection to their current jobs, Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Controller John Chiang. Lt Gov John Garamendi, who was running earlier for Gov, is about to be elected to the House of Representatives (better job; no term limits). There are a few sitting members of the House I would prefer, but Jerry has the name recognition, the money and experience, too. The first time I ever voted for Governor was for Jerry’s reelection (back in 1978). His father, Edmund G Brown Sr (“Pat”) was the best Governor CA ever had. Brown Jr was a mixed bag but way better than anything the Greedy Old Party will be running this year. Oh well, whatever…
Something I haven’t seen noted: Jerry Brown was the one who signed Phillip Burton’s redistricting plan in the 1980s, so he probably (hopefully) won’t be a redistricting moralist this time around either.
But it bears repeating.
I hope Fienstien runs, resigns from her senate seat, and looses the primary.
It’s really sad that we can’t have CA-GOV be a jumping off point for Progressives nationally.
that you could only imagine telling a Californian in 1984 that in 2010 Jerry Brown would be governor again, succeedin Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Brown’s vulnerable on his left flank and there’s a whole crop of new Californians, both youngsters and immigrants who aren’t attached to Brown.
Newsom was a flawed candidate just as Brown is, but his exit leaves a vacuum that someone can, and probably will fill. I can’t say who, but I suspect that someone else might well decide to take the plunge.
I like Jerry Brown, and think he will make a good Governor.
Why am I more sanguine about his second tenure than most others seem to be? It’s simple: there will be no learning curve for Jerry Brown. He already knows the ropes, and has already made the rookie mistakes all Governors do.
I am confident that Jerry Brown will be a good Governor.
After that dreadful (and seemingly-lengthy) period of nonstop gaffes/negative press for her, perhaps she’s finally gotten her shit together?