CHANGES IN THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

SPEAKING FOR THE GOVERNOR The Governor’s Press Secretary Margita Thompson says December 15th with be her last day on the job before leaving for Los Angeles and a new career as the vice president of corporate communications for Health Net in Woodland Hills. There’s plenty of speculation around the Capitol about who will replace her. The early favorite was Matt David the Deputy Communications Director for the Governor’s re-election campaign., but he’s said to be more interested in returning to Washington, D.C. so the job is wide open again.

Mike Luery’s Vlog on the future of Phil Angelides

LATINO POWER One of the names we’re now hearing as a Press Secretary candidate is that of Arnoldo Torres, the Schwarzenegger campaign’s Latino outreach director, who just happened be in the Capitol corridors today when I saw him outside the Governor’s office.

Torres, a former TV broadcaster is bilingual, very articulate and his star is said to be on the rise, after the Governor reportedly captured 39% of the Latino vote in the campaign against Phil Angelides. The 39% mark is believed to be the highest for a Republican candidate running for Governor since 1990. So is Torres the man?
“That’s not a name I’m hearing” stated Margita Thompson, the outgoing Press Secretary. When I asked Thompson what names she is hearing, she replied, “We’re not going down that road.” When we do, we’ll let you know what we learn.

2010 CAMPAIGN ALREADY UNDER WAY

THE RACE IS ON
Steve Poizner hasn’t even been sworn in yet as California’s new Insurance Commissioner, but already he’s facing a challenger for re-election in 2010. Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D) Eureka is ready to throw her hat in the ring by forming a campaign committee for a possible run for the office. “She’s set to take a real serious look at it,” says Will Shuck, Berg’s Chief of Staff. Berg is termed out in 2008, meaning she cannot run again for State Assembly – so she’s got little to lose by running for a statewide post.

Poizner, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who spent millions to become Insurance Commissioner, is the only Republican other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, to win a statewide office. As such, he’s also considered the favorite to capture the GOP nomination for Governor, should he choose to run in 2010.

BAY AREA LAWMAKER FINED

FPPC SANCTIONS MARK LENO
Popular San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno has suffered a bite from California’s political watchdog for campaign reporting violations. The Fair Political Practices Commission leveled a $6,000 fine against Leno and his 2004 campaign treasurer James Nickoff because they “failed to timely disclose late contributions in a late contribution report,” according to the FPPC. The enforcement division says Leno and Nickoff also “accepted a contribution in excess of the $3,200 contribution limit in connection with the March 2, 2004 State Assembly general election.” Ironically, Mark Leno didn’t need any extra help in that election – he captured 82% of the vote.

LENO RESPONSE
In response, Mark Leno tells Capitol Insider, “The error made by two of my accountants has been acknowledged by them. They have already paid the fine personally. As they has taken full responsibility for the situation, no cost has been incurred by my campaign account. Improved systems are now in place.” Apparently so, because in the just completed 2006 election – Leno won nearly 87% of the vote – and no fines from the FPPC.

POIZNER WATCH

WHERE’S STEVE?
Political pundits are keeping an eye on the incoming Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who’s now considered a prohibitive favorite to capture the Republican nomination for Governor in 2010. The politically moderate self-made millionaire from the Silicon Valley will have a high visibility post for the next four years as California’s top consumer watchdog. So where is Steve Poizner now? He’s on jury duty this week! That’s the word from his campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Kerns.

NEW LOOK IN SACRAMENTO

WOMEN IN CHARGE
When the California legislature reconvenes on December 4th, three of the top leaders will be women – with two of them hailing from the Bay Area. Assemblymember Sally Lieber (D) Mountain View is the new Speaker pro tem – just the third woman to hold that post since 1849. Essentially, she will be the #2 Democrat in the Assembly, working closely with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez of Los Angeles.

The other women in leadership positions include Assemblymember Karen Bass (D) Los Angeles, who has been named Assembly Majority Floor Leader and Noreen Evans (D) Santa Rosa, who will serve as Democratic Caucus Chair. How do the dynamics change with three women at the top ? Sally Lieber told me, “It will increase civility and bipartisanship.” Bipartisanship is now the magic word in Sacramento.

SO HAPPY TOGETHER
Democrats and Republicans at the State Capitol finally get it…
the voters want them to work together to address California’s growing needs.
Newly re-elected Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez put it this way, “We learned from this election that the citizens of California reward bipartisan progress, and we will continue down that path as we move our state forward.” Let’s see how long that lasts.

REPUBLICAN LEADER
The GOP has named Mike Villines of Clovis as the next Assembly Republican leader. He replaces Assemblymember George Plescia of San Diego.

WHERE’S DEBRA?

DEBRA WITH A SMALL d
Have the Democrats abandoned Debra Bowen in her race for Secretary of State?
Bowen, a State Senator from Marina del Rey is a liberal Democrat and the only woman on the so-called “down-ticket” races.

She’s running against incumbent Bruce McPherson for Secretary of State.. McPherson is currently running TV ads, but where are the spots for Bowen? In a race that’s considered too close to call, why hasn’t the Democratic Party ponied up the money she needs to get on the air?

MONEY MATTERS
“I definitely think they are abandoning her” says Karen Hanretty, a Republican political consultant. “The Democrats and the unions have made a decision to put money into John Garamendi’s race for Lt. Governor and John Chiang’s race for Controller,” Hanretty opines.

Why? Hanretty says the unions despise Tom McClintock, the Republican candidate for Lt. Governor and that it’s “more important to the unions to defeat Tom McClintock than it is to elect Debra Bowen.”

DEMS RESPOND
“This is the least funded effort on the whole ballot,” explains Steve Maviglio, a Democratic consultant who’s currently on loan to the Phil Angelides campaign.

On the Bowen-McPherson contest, Maviglio adds, ” I think between the two candidates they only have about a million dollars in the bank, which is enough for just a few days of TV ads. “

Maviglio predicts you’ll see those Bowen ads in the next few days before the election. But it sounds to me like the Dems have donated their dollars to other races and Debra Bowen is simply not a top priority for the party.