With Tom McClintock’s decision this morning to focus his aim on Capitol Hill, it leaves a very big vacuum in the race for who will succeed Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard, who is in his second and final term on the BOE (his current term ends in 2010). With McClintock in the race, he had pretty much cleared the field. BOE districts are vast, each of them encompassing one quarter of the state’s voters. Thus they are very difficult in which to campaign. The amount of money and resources required to communicate your message, as a candidate, to Republican voters is staggering. McClintock’s high state-wide name I.D. made him a shoo-in, and now… There is no longer a presumptive front-runner to replace Leonard. Or is there?
I am sure that a significant number of current and former legislators, among others, will now be seriously looking at a run for this safe, Republican BOE seat. One person whom you can figure is very likely to announce her candidacy sooner than later is California Republican National Committeewoman and former State Assemblywoman Barbara Alby. Alby currently serves as Leonard’s Chief Deputy, and undoubtedly if she ran would enjoy not only one of the most enviable ballot designations that you could have when running for this office, but you have to figure she’s got a big head start in garnering the support of the incumbent.
Of course, besides a good ballot designation, another popular strategy for those running for these obscure BOE seats is to lock up GOP slate cards. We’ve heard that termed out Stockton-area Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi has been out reserving slate cards… Also we had heard the name of Senator George Runner mentioned, though this was before the recent announcement that his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner was ill and awaiting a lung transpant…. The Senator cited his wife’s health in withdrawing his candidacy for Senate Republican Leader.
It’s a bit early yet to be able to handicap the race for this seat. But as of this moment, were she to announce, Alby would clearly be an early front-runner.