Rep. Duncan Hunter's next gig?
California GOP floating congressman's name as possible gubernatorial candidate

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Posted: January 10, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern



© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a long-shot Republican in this year's presidential race, is being talked about as a potential candidate for governor of California in 2010.

Although he's barely surfaced in the polls as a 2008 GOP presidential candidate, he's popular among the party's "hardline conservatives" in the state because of his tough stance on immigration and border security, says Carla Marinucci, who blogs for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Hunter helped establish a 59-mile prototype for sealing a porous border section along his southern San Diego District boundary susceptible to illegal aliens, drug trafficking and terrorism, and helped pass the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which mandates the building of a double-layered fence covering 854 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

He's also sponsored numerous bills for providing resources to border enforcement agencies and has fought for the release from prison of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, two border agents serving long sentences following convictions for shooting an illegal alien drug smuggler.

According to Hunter's website, he's received 100 percent ratings from the Christian Coalition, the Eagle Forum and National Right to Life, as well as A-plus ratings from the NRA and Americans for Better Immigration.

The 26-year member of Congress' conservative credentials appeal to California Republicans in the market for an alternative to the state's wealthy and moderate insurance commissioner, Steve Poizner, who's name is also being floated as a possible GOP gubernatorial candidate.

In fact, some speculate Hunter's bid for the White House was intended as a way to establish name recognition and credibility for a future political move in his home state.

However, some moderate Republicans worry a statehouse bid by Hunter in California will negatively affect the party's future in the Democratic-leaning state, according to Marinucci.

''If Republicans nominate someone as far to the right as Duncan Hunter in the next gubernatorial campaign, the next sign you'll see is: ''This Way to the Whig Party,''' said one leading party insider.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is prevented by term limits from running for re-election in 2010 and may seek the U.S. Senate seat now held by Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Hunter, whose presidential campaign has focused mostly on fair trade, manufacturing and defense issues, says he has no plans to bow out of the race despite a non-existent showing in Iowa and earning just 1 percent of the GOP vote in New Hampshire. In fact, according to a party official, the White House hopeful plans to headline a GOP Lincoln Day dinner in Michigan today. Hunter says he'll fight all the way to the West, where he believes he'll garner strong support.

Earlier this week, the candidate lashed out against ABC News and Fox News for excluding him from televised debates leading up to the New Hampshire primary. He said keeping him off the debate panels was the work of "knuckleheads."

Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College who specializes in national politics, told the North County Times he believes Hunter has no shot.

''The safest bet this campaign season is that Duncan Hunter is not going to be the Republican nominee,'' Pitney said, citing lack of money and campaign organization.

''He's a good guy, and he has been effective in the Armed Services Committee, but he's not going to be president,'' Pitney said. ''But as long as he is not going into personal debt, there's no reason for him not to stay around. He can tell his grandkids one day that he ran for president.''

WND Editor Joseph Farah recently endorsed Hunter for president, ending his column this way:

"There is much more to say about his excellent record and his fearless championing of all that is good and decent about America.

"The point is this: We don't have to settle for less. We don't have to settle for an imitation of the real thing. We don't have to settle for someone who is right most of the time.

"Duncan Hunter is the real deal.

"Support him now – so we don't have to compromise later."


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