Thread: Senator Barbara Boxer won't seek re-election in 2016

Billionaire Tom Steyer won't run for Sen. Barbara Boxer's seat

By Josh Richman
jrichman@bayareanewsgroup.com
POSTED: 01/23/2015 06:14:42 AM PST
UPDATED: A DAY AGO

Hedge fund billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer's decision not to run to succeed U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2016 is good news for California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the only declared candidate so far.

But Steyer's choice might further entice other Democrats like former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to enter the race, making Harris' path more complicated. And it could be bad news as well for Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, if Steyer instead runs in 2018 to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown -- a job Newsom is widely believed to want.

Steyer, 57, posted an opinion article to the Huffington Post on Thursday saying the fight for social justice starts with fighting climate change, which he has made his mission. He said his decision about the Senate race hinged upon how best he could fight for a level playing field in environment, economic and education issues.



Hedge-fund billionaire Tom Steyer at his office in San Francisco, Nov. 12, 2012. (Karl Mondon, Bay Area News Group)

"The U.S. Senate offers a unique opportunity to serve, but I also know that we will have excellent candidates," Steyer wrote. "I applaud and respect those running, and am confident that Californians will choose a representative who will serve them well. Given the imperative of electing a Democratic president -- along with my passion for our state -- I believe my work right now should not be in our nation's capital but here at home in California, and in states around the country where we can make a difference."

Steyer, who Forbes estimates has a $1.6 billion net worth, last year spent at least $70 million trying to influence specific U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races around the nation by blasting those whom he deemed weak on climate change; many of his targets won anyway.

"Steyer was the big wild card and having him bow out is a big deal," said Bruce Cain, a political expert who directs Stanford University's Bill Lane Center for the American West.

"It lowers the cost -- if he had entered and thrown lots of ads in, everyone would've had to raise lots of money to compete and fend off the attacks, so there's got to be a huge sigh of relief among the other potential candidates," Cain said.

Steyer acted wisely, Cain said. "His agenda right now is way too narrowly focused on climate change," he said, "and I don't think he was able to take on the many other issues you need to be able to cope with such as the budget, education, etc."Harris acknowledged Steyer's decision with a tweet on Thursday afternoon: "I look forward to working with @TomSteyer to confront & combat climate change, one of the most pressing issues facing future generations."

A poll Steyer commissioned in December had found most Democratic and nonpartisan voters embrace the anti-climate-change ideals for which he stands, but the survey didn't posit any head-to-head scenarios for 2016. The pollster's memo on the results was addressed to "Team Cincinnatus" -- a reference to the Roman statesman hailed as an icon of virtue, selflessness and humility after twice being chosen for, and then twice resigning, the mantle of dictator in order to protect the republic.

Villaraigosa is arguably the biggest-name Democrat besides Harris to express interest in the race. He has been building buzz both by virtue of his Southern California base and the fact that he would be the state's first Latino U.S. senator.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, also has said she's seriously considering a 2016 Senate bid. And Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said Thursday that "many Californians" have encouraged him to run as well.

Schiff, 54, has just started his eighth House term. A former federal prosecutor and state senator, he has become a leading House Democratic voice on foreign policy and national security.

"There's no way, in my mind, that Kamala is going to get a free ride," Cain said, adding she's still sure to face other Democrats in the Senate race. "If it's not Villaraigosa, it might be (Rep. Xavier) Becerra, or more likely three or four of them."

The more candidates there are, the more Harris must worry about each chipping away at certain key voting blocs -- and possibly splitting the vote enough so that a Republican and another Democrat can slip past her in the top-two primary.

Republicans expressing interest in the race include Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside, and former state GOP chairmen Tom Del Beccaro of Lafayette and Duf Sundheim of Los Gatos Hills. Pundits believe other possible GOP contenders could include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who lost last year's race for state controller.

Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, on Thursday joined his Bay Area peers Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, and Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, in endorsing Harris for the Senate race.

Cain said Newsom "is going to be a little bit more nervous now" about the possibility of facing Steyer's wealth in 2018, but noted that Steyer's focus so far has been more at a national scale rather than building his recognition and popularity across the Golden State.

"I think Gavin realizes it's a possibility," Cain said, "but he's probably not losing sleep over it."

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-wo...un-senate-2016

Latinos delay California U.S. Senate nods as ex-LA mayor mulls run

BY SHARON BERNSTEIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:15pm EST

California Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks at the Center for American Progress' 2014 Making Progress Policy Conference in Washington November 19, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/GARY CAMERON


(Reuters) - California's ethnic mix is well represented among the high-powered supporters being lined up by Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris in her bid to replace Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate - with the notable exception of Latinos.

Two weeks after Harris, who is of African-American and Asian decent, announced her bid, Latino Democrats are mostly silent on whether they will endorse her, with many waiting to see if former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will enter the race.

Either way, the state appears likely to achieve an historic first. If elected, Harris would be the first African-American senator from California. Villaraigosa would be the state's first Mexican-American senator.

As African-American leaders, along with many whites and Asians, throw their weight behind Harris, some Latinos lamented that the race may not have a candidate from their ranks.

"There's a little bit of backlash within the Latino community," said Fernando Guerra, who heads Loyola Marymount's Center for the Study of Los Angeles.

In California, about 7 percent of residents identify as black or African American alone, according to U.S. Census data, while Hispanics comprise nearly 40 percent of the population. But black leaders moved into mainstream state politics earlier than Latinos, many through the well-oiled political culture of the San Francisco Bay Area.

That part of the state, for example, produced California's longest serving Assembly Speaker, African-American Willie L. Brown, Jr., who later served as San Francisco's mayor.

While Villaraigosa as well as Latino Congress members Xavier Becerra and Loretta Sanchez contemplate running, numerous African-American leaders and many from the liberal white and Asian establishments have endorsed Harris, 50.

"I don't view it ethnically," said Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr., a former Assembly Speaker who is an African-American and a Villaraigosa ally. Wesson endorsed Harris this week. "The race itself would be historic regardless of who won."

Other Democrats endorsing Harris include Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, the mayors of Oakland and San Francisco, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Powerful figures such as Democratic State Senate leader Kevin de Leon and other Latino caucus members awaited Villaraigosa's decision.

Harris' political adviser, Brian Brokaw, said Harris was gaining endorsements partly because she had formally joined the race.
On Friday, Brokaw said that Robert Garcia, the Democratic mayor of Long Beach, had become the first Latino elected official to formally endorse Harris.

SENSE OF EXCLUSION
When Willie Brown, who decades ago helped Harris launch her career, publicly suggested Villaraigosa not run out of loyalty to Harris, some Latinos took it as a message for the entire community to back off.

“His loyalty and his relationship with her should be so valuable, and he should, in my opinion, see it as an opportunity to demonstrate that,” Brown told the Sacramento Bee newspaper last week.

Brown, who said his suggestion was unrelated to ethnicity, did not respond to requests for comment.

Fabian Nunez, a former Assembly Speaker who is close to Villaraigosa, said the speed with which party brass were moving to back Harris, before Villaraigosa or another Latino candidate entered the race, was leading some Latinos to feel sidelined.

"There's a sense among folks that Latinos need to be back-benchers," Nunez said. "The statement that Willie Brown made couldn’t be more insulting."

The situation also has to do with timing. Harris' national star has been rising for several years, and she has been widely mentioned as a candidate for U.S. Senate or for governor.

As Los Angeles mayor, Villaraigosa, 61, was visible on the state and national stage, but he has been out of office for nearly two years and personal issues that dogged him while in office could crop up during a campaign.

Political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe said that splitting California Democrats along ethnic lines could hurt the party, which dominates politics in the most populous U.S. state.

"I do have a concern that what may evolve is the perception if not the reality of a battle between Latinos and African-Americans," she said.

Villaraigosa, who is expected to decide within weeks if he will run, has not commented on the ethnic politics at play.

A close associate of Villaraigosa, who was not authorized to speak publicly about a possible run and so requested anonymity, said, "He's looking at, 'Can I win this race as Antonio Villaraigosa, former speaker of the Assembly, former mayor of Los Angeles.'"

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0L32AY20150130

http://www.alipac.us/f9/former-l-may...senate-317826/

Fresno Mayor Swearengin passes on race for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat


Ashley Swearengin, mayor of Fresno, during the United States Conference of Mayors at the Capital Hilton in Washington on Jan. 22, 2013. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / MCT)

By SEEMA MEHTA contact the reporter

Swearengin, who received most support among potential GOP candidates for Senate in poll, passes on the race.

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who received the most support among potential Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in a new poll, has decided not to run in the 2016 contest, said advisor Tim Clark.

lRelated
POLITICS Senate candidate Kamala Harris unknown to more than 50% of voters

Swearengin, who ran unsuccessfully for state controller in 2014, is viewed by many Republicans as likely to run again for a statewide post. But her decision to skip the race for the seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer is not surprising. Clark had said previously that she was more likely to run for an executive post in 2018.

In USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll released Friday, Swearengin received the largest support among potential GOP candidates: 9% of registered voters surveyed.

The politicians who led the poll were Democratic Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, the sole major candidate in the race, who won 28% backing, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who earlier this week took a pass on the race, with 19% support. Nearly a quarter of voters were undecided.

The polling showed the obstacles Swearengin would have had to overcome. Despite being the mayor of California’s fifth-largest city and having previously run for statewide office, only 19% of those surveyed could identify her. Eight percent held a favorable view of Swearengin, while 4% held a dim view of her.

http://www.latimes.com/local/politic...227-story.html

Republican Rocky Chavez enters U.S. Senate race in California

Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside) at a Sacramento press conference in 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

By MICHAEL FINNEGAN contact the reporter

Republican Rocky Chavez enters U.S. Senate race in California.

First major Republican to face @kamalaharris in #CASenate race is Rocky Chavez, state assemblyman


Rocky Chávez, an assemblyman from Oceanside, announced his campaign for U.S. Senate on Thursday, becoming the first major Republican to enter the race to succeed Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer.

lRelated
POLITICAL Assemblyman Chavez hints he will announce U.S. Senate bid on Thursday SEE ALL RELATED

Chávez, a former U.S. Marine colonel and onetime member of the Oceanside City Council, was first elected to the Assembly in 2012. In a written statement, he said he would focus in the Senate on national security, education and the economy.


The race to succeed Sen. Barbara Boxer

“I believe absolutely that I am a uniquely qualified candidate,” Chávez said. “I’m a fighter who brings bipartisan support to issues and gets them solved.”

Chávez will face a tough challenge in a state dominated by Democrats. The only major candidate in the race so far is state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat with a strong political foundation in San Francisco, where she was once district attorney. Harris also has a national fundraising base.

Other big-name Democrats, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, have declined to run.

“If things get worse overseas,” Chávez said in his statement, “who would Californians want representing them in the Senate? A lawyer from San Francisco or a Marine colonel who knows how lives can be protected and understands the importance of keeping America and her allies safe and secure.”

Other Republicans weighing whether to run include former state Republican chairmen Tom Del Beccaro and Duf Sundheim.

Chávez served as acting secretary of the state Department of Veterans Affairs under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A recent USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that 19% of registered voters could identify Chávez by name. In a multi-candidate field, he received the backing of 6% of those surveyed.

“Californians are looking for someone who shares their story,” Chávez said. “My father taught me the value of hard work in the grape fields with my uncles and cousins, which led to my success in the military and desire to give back through public service.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/politic...305-story.html

http://www.alipac.us/f9/calif-ag-har...s-seat-318556/

Loretta Sanchez to announce U.S. Senate run Thursday


Capitol Alert

The go-to source for news on California policy and politics

BY CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO
ccadelago@sacbee.com

Rep. Loretta Sanchez will announce her candidacy for the U.S. Senate at a gathering Thursday in Santa Ana.

The Santa Ana Democrat plans to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. at the Santa Ana Train Station, joined by her husband, family and friends.

“Together we will win,” Sanchez wrote in an email to supporters Tuesday obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

The announcement will come a day before California Democrats are scheduled to hold their annual convention in nearby Anaheim. So far, Attorney General Kamala Harris has been the only Democrat to enter the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Christopher Cadelago: (916) 326-5538, @ccadelago

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-...e20778651.html
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article20778651.html
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article20778651.html#storylink=cpy

MAY 12, 2015

Loretta Sanchez campaign changes course, says she hasn’t decided to run

Her campaign says they mistakenly sent an email announcing a U.S. Senate press conference

Consultant Bill Carrick: “Quite a lot of people may have gotten it by mistake. But it was a mistake”

Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California speaks during an advocacy day hosted by the Hispanic Dental Association in 2012. | Steve Ruark AP Images for Crest and Oral-B

BY CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO
ccadelago@sacbee.com
A campaign consultant working with Rep. Loretta Sanchez said an email to supporters informing them of a Thursday U.S. Senate announcement was sent inadvertently.

The email, which was initially confirmed to The Bee by two campaign spokesmen, said the Democrat planned to hold a news conference with her husband, family and friends at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Santa Ana Train Station.

“Together we will win,” Sanchez wrote in the email to supporters.

But Bill Carrick, a veteran Democratic consultant, said the note was released by mistake, and that Sanchez has yet to finalize her plans for a challenge to Attorney General Kamala Harris in the contest to replace Barbara Boxer.

“It was a mistake,” Carrick said. “Quite a lot of people may have gotten it by mistake. But it was a mistake.”

Sanchez’s entry into the contest would set up a contested and potentially expensive clash with Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney who has spent months securing endorsements and raising money, including more than $2.5 million in the year’s first quarter.

The Sanchez announcement also would come a day before California Democrats open their annual convention in nearby Anaheim, and several weeks after Sanchez strongly hinted at a run in an appearance in San Francisco.

At the gathering, organized by Bay Area Latino clubs, Sanchez criticized Harris for her lack of federal experience and inability to speak Spanish.

Harris’ team said they would wait for a formal announcement from Sanchez before issuing any comment.
Christopher Cadelago: (916) 326-5538, @ccadelago

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-...e20789487.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article20789487.html#storylink=cpy

Is there actually anyone running for Boxer's seat that we can get behind? Hmm, I didn't think so.

1/5/15

NY Democratic Rep. Israel says won't seek re-election in November