Feinstein rules out run for California governor

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
February 16, 2010 at 4:19 p.m.

WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein made it official Tuesday: She will not run for governor of California.

Feinstein told supporters during a Tuesday fundraiser in Orange County that she would not run, her spokesman Gil Duran confirmed.

The 76-year-old Democrat is among the state's most popular politicians. She had said she would make a final decision after seeing other candidates' proposals to deal with the state's persistent budget deficits.

Her decision clears the Democratic field for Attorney General Jerry Brown, who served two terms as governor in the mid-1970s and early 1980s.

Wylie Aitken, a lawyer from Orange County, said about 20 people attended a luncheon fundraiser that he organized for Feinstein on Tuesday. When the conversation turned to state politics, she told the group they would be the first to know that she had called Brown earlier that day to let him know of her decision.

"Jerry has a good sense of humor, because when Senator Feinstein called, he said, 'Oh, I was hoping you were going to run,'" Aitken said in recounting Feinstein's story.

Feinstein won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1990 but lost to Republican Pete Wilson.

Steven Glazer, Jerry Brown's campaign manager, confirmed Brown spoke to Feinstein, but declined to go into specifics.

"She is a trusted friend and close adviser to the attorney general," Glazer said. "He looks forward to working with her on the huge challenges facing California."

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is vying against state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner for the Republican nomination. Brown is expected to announce on the Democratic ticket in the next few weeks. The state deadline for filing is March 12.
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Associated Press Writer Judy Lin in Sacramento contributed to this report.

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