CA-GOV: Is DiFi Getting In the Race?

I wish! (5.00 / 1)

I really wish she would. DiFi probably wouldn't run the risk of pulling a Coakley on the CA-GOV race, unlike Brown. And it's hard to imagine that we couldn't get a more progressive Senator (in the Boxer mold?) out of the deal as well.

What's the deadline for DiFi to hop in the race? Would that mean we'd have two Senate races to vote on in November?

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by: ihale @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 18:01:59 PM UTC

Very soon (0.00 / 0)

It's just a couple of weeks before the final deadline. It might even be mid to late February. So, we'll know soon.

I think?

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 18:31:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Deadline is March 12 (0.00 / 0)

A near-eternity of 5 weeks

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by: Dave_Coast @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 18:32:59 PM UTC

Replacing DiFi if she's gov... (0.00 / 0)

... would mean a gubernatorial appt. of a replacement senator, the seat would not come up this year.

That person serves until the next general election (Nov. '12, which is the natural end of DiFi's term anyway) or there can be a special election called. Even if someone wins the special they only serve out the remainder of the term, not a full 6 years.

I would imagine that both the appt. and whether to call a special election is Arnold's call in his last days in office, but someone smarter than me may know if DiFi could wait to become gov. to appt. her own successor. I wonder if Arnold could appt. himself. Could be a strange dance for a while.  

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by: Dave_Coast @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 18:54:02 PM UTC

My guess (0.00 / 0)

Is that, if she wanted, DiFi could wait for the very last minute to resign her Senate office, giving Arnold no opportunity to appoint her successor. So, she has some leverage with which to negotiate. Arnold would probably be amenable to some centrist Democrat anyway.  heck, maybe he can get himself appointed!

I think?

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 19:21:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

John Seymour (0.00 / 0)

When Pete Wilson was elected governor in 1990 he appointed his own replacement, John Seymour, who DiFi defeated in 1992.

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by: runchadrun @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 00:29:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The rumors I have heard (0.00 / 0)

from well-placed sources are that DiFi is merely interested in running for re-election to the Senate.

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by: Dante Atkins @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 21:19:38 PM UTC

Why? (0.00 / 0)

She frustrates me as a Senator. I'm not sure what solutions she could possibly bring to fix the state's problems. She strikes me as timid and slow to come around to certain policy positions, and now's not the time to be timid. There's something to be said for common sense solutions, but there must also be some ambition, a fierce urgency to tackle things and comeup with some new ideas for a new century.  

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by: rolypoly @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 22:25:48 PM UTC

And Brown? (0.00 / 0)

Sadly, Jerry Brown doesn't seem to be bursting with hope, reform, and youthful vigor himself. At least a senate vacancy from a DiFi run could potentially net us a compelling national candidate for one major office this Fall.

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by: ihale @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 23:12:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

here and there (0.00 / 0)

Brown's not exactly someone I'm necessairly excited about either. I enjoy his anecdotes and perspective, but question whether he'll bring anything new to the table. I'm hoping the Dem field widens a bit, and we see some unexpected entries.

On the Senate side, I was watching Hardball the other night, and noticed they included CA as a race that may heat up, though with some skeptisim. Who knows?  

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by: rolypoly @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 23:30:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pete Wilson (0.00 / 0)

Waited until he was sworn in as governor, to resign from the Senate, so that he could appoint his Senate successor.  He defeated Feinstein for the Governorship and then appointed John Seymour to his Senate seat.  Whom Dianne defeated two years later.  This, of course, all happened almost twenty years ago.

Is is weird to anyone else that the California Democratic Party is reaching into its history books for candidates as we begin the second decade of this millenium?

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by: TeddySanFran @ Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 23:20:23 PM UTC

i'm voting for zombie upton sinclair n/t (7.00 / 3)

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by: wu ming @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 00:37:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'll second that (0.00 / 0)

So sad that End Poverty In California is still a necessary campaign slogan nearly 80 years after Sinclair mounted his memorable and transformative campaign.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 01:54:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What's going on in the backrooms (0.00 / 0)

DiFi making a move like that, if she wins she gets to appoint her successor for almost 2 years right? Who would get the Senate seat? Newsom, Jerry Brown, Judy Chu, Jackie Speier, etc.... where does DiFi go to get a senator?

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by: EGProgressive @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 00:12:25 AM UTC

Willie Browm? :-) (0.00 / 0)

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by: rolypoly @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 18:53:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's Some Commentary on Jerry Brown.. (0.00 / 0)

That this site is mildly excited about the prospect of DiFi, of all people, running for Governor.

Between these two retreads and Carly's mystifyingly bad demon sheep ad, I am wondering whether the Sleep Talking Man was talking about California politics when he said, "Vampire pengins and zombie guinea pigs?  We're done for!"

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by: SolanoVoter @ Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 13:58:07 PM UTC