ATTN CALIFORNIANS: Who will be a Democratic Contender for Governor in 2006

[mkregel]

So far the only name that floats around is Cruz Bustamante. I am told he can get things done.

Any other names out there?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Not Cruz if I can help it

Bill Lockyer, our Attorney General has been in government since the 80's, is less of a public back stabber than Cruz and has survived every major budget crisis in the state over the last two decades....I am raying for a Lockyer campaign. He is my first choice.

Cruz is a me first kind of guy, a bit too much for my tastes. Although I was angry at Davis when he didn't sign the farm labor bill, Bustamante pulling his support from Davis and causing a very public rift within the party just prior to the election probably cost Davis a few points in the election...he weilded enough power to handle it just as forcefully but less publicly.

[mkregel]

2. Good to see that Lockyear is a possibility

He and Pete Stark are both progressives and apparently good friends.

[ilpostino]

3. Vote for me

For $3500 I may jump in the race myself. Why not? It's going to be that crazy...watch for the sleeper candidate--Ronnie Reagan...seriously. The nutcases are running the show.

[Ishkaboogl]

4. lockyer and angelides

both AG Bill Lockyer and Treasurer Phil Angelides are prospective candidates. Lockyer is more in the tradition of the centrist Feinstein, while Angelides is more of a true liberal like Feingold. I really like Angelides, but think Lockyer might make a better governor. not sure yet. But both have huge huge war chests that are ready to be spent in the race.

However, I have a gut feeling that Davis will be way behind in the polls for this recall, and that Feinstein will hop on, which will ensure her victory. Hell, she hates Davis anyways for his negative attacks in the gubernatorial primary in 1990. If he's down, I predict she'll step in. Hopefully, then she'll pick Angelides as her replacement in the Senate. I think he'll be better as a legislator than as a governor. Then the field is cleared for Lockyer.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Angelides will never survive a race for governor

and how liberal can Feingold be? He voted for Ashcroft!

[Ishkaboogl]

5. bustamente is dead

he has no chance. the only thing he's got going for him is that he's latino. he has no real base, and i see him much like i see davis. both guys that care more about their careers than getting stuff done for the good of the people.

[VoteClark]

7. Nobody, Arnold will be Governor

I don't see any candidate beating Arnold. It is best to just until he get tired of the job. Personally, I would like to see Jerry Brown's daughter run again. But nobody can beat Arnold. Nobody, he is even a Kennedy, by marriage.

J4Clark

[David__77]

8. Patently untrue...

Californians are not for "flash" of Hollywood politicians. Think Wilson, Davis, Deukmejian... Reagan was out of Hollywood for a long time, and more defined as a Goldwater extremist than anything else. Schwarzenegger probably cannot win a regular election. He'd end up like Jesse Ventura, and the GOP rightists would never allow him to win a primary with his pro-gay, pro-abortion rights stand.

[Perky]

11. You are absolutely correct.

Arnold will be a terrible candidate. The internal politics withing the GOP will have him hobbling tith luke war support at best. They will kill eachother off. Tactically, watch the Dem candidate go after Arnolds rival's full throttle....That has the republicans ended up with that idiot Simon rather than Richard Riordan.

He has not been to college. He is a name that people know but he is not anyone that people are going to get terribly excited about and the right wing of the party will never unit behind him.

[jiacinto]

14. I saw an LA Times article maybe 1-2 weeks ago

And it it said that Schawarnegger polled poorly and that more than 1/2 of Californians would not vote for him.

[ronnykmarshall]

15. Jerry Brown's daughter???

You mean his sister.

[David__77]

9. My dream candidate:

Antonio Villaraigosa. I think he should be governor. His candidacy could seal the majority status for the Democrats for years to come, as the party of the people, for a labor/Latino alliance.

[Perky]

12. HA HA

Well at least you did not say Pachecko.

ANtonio is fine....Problem is that he sort of has fallen down the politcal ladder a few rungs in the last few years don't ya think?

[Perky]

10. Jim Hahn

Mayor of LA

[LWolf]

13. I don't know.

I sincerely hope it is not Feinstein. I don't want to take a dem out of the senate and leave another opening for repubs to try to take.

I don't have an opinion, other than that I will vote against the recall. I'm not a Davis supporter, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BUDGET. I get tired of saying that; I get tired of hearing that people think he is a bad governor because of the budget crisis. I know the source of the budget problems. It's not Davis. Since I live in a heavily repub area, I don't have any experience with any dems other than my senators, so I really can't say.

[election_2004]

16. but...

Wouldn't Feinstein's successor to the U.S. Senate be named through either gubernatorial appointment or special election?

Can anyone say Loretta Sanchez?

[mndemocrat_29]

18. Senate Appointment

Sen. Dianne Feinstein would appoint her successor (ala the Murkowskis in Alaska). If they didn't, we'd have a tied Senate and Fran Ulmer would be running for reelection.

In the case that Feinstein did run for governor (I'd rather see Willie T. Brown), I think that she'd appoint someone like Rep. Loretta Sanchez to her seat. Sanchez is attractive, popular, and a major rising star.

[GBD4]

17. Would Richard Riordan run?

Is the former LA mayor going to run for the Republicans by any chance? Or is only Arnold in the mix?