Showing posts with label California Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California Politics. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2015
More than a half-dozen House Democrats are considering a bid for California’s first open Senate seat in more than two decades — and unlike in most other states, none would start as a front-runner.
Sen. Barbara Boxer’s retirement has given ambitious but stifled Democrats an avenue to higher office, and it’s part of a significant changing of the guard among the party’s leaders in the state. State Attorney General Kamala Harris entered the race Tuesday, with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and billionaire Tom Steyer expected to announce their decisions within days.
Reps. Xavier Becerra, Karen Bass, John Garamendi, Raul Ruiz, Loretta Sanchez, Jackie Speier and Eric Swalwell are also mulling bids. But while members are generally top-tier Senate recruits thanks to past electoral success and a built-in donor base, the Golden State’s crop of potential contenders face inherent disadvantages not seen in nearly any other state.
First, there’s the sheer cost of running a statewide campaign in the most populous state in the country.
Democrats estimate the race could easily cost in the nine figures, especially since the top-two primary could push two Democrats into the general election. The escalated price tag comes with having four large media markets — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, which all rank among the top 30 markets in the country.
Read the full story: www.atr.rollcall.com
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