Big John jumps in

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi announced today that he wants to be my Congressman. Once Ellen Tauscher is confirmed for a State Department post by the US Senate, the 10th Congressional District will have a special election. It must be hard for Garamendi to walk away from his gubernatorial race since it is obvious he really wanted the job- this was the 4th time he was running for Governor, dating back to 1982. With Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom in the race (and potentially Antonio Villaraigosa), Garamendi had little or no chance of winning the nomination.

Several folks are wondering why Garamendi is passing up a chance to take on Republican Dan Lungren in the 3rd CD. Apparently the Garamendi ranch manages to straddle both the 3rd and the 10th CDs (pretty shrewd property).

If Garamendi doesn't win in the 10th this year, will he run in the 3rd next year? He could reuse his Garamendi for Congress materials. Or, would he then run for reelection as Lt. Gov.? I think Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell would be a logical candidate for Lt. Gov., but I haven't heard any intentions other than running for Governor.