State Senator Tom Harman has to be feeling a little crowded about now. Heck, just a few days ago there was nothing standing between him and the Republican nomination for Attorney General except the technical need to be nominated by GOP voters in the June primary. A few days ago I reported that Dean John Eastman of Chapman University’s Law School had started making calls and will be formally announcing his candidacy very soon.
Today brings the (anticipated) formal entry into the race of Los Angeles County’s 9-year top prosecutor, District Attorney Steve Cooley.
In a prepared statement announcing the formation of his Exploratory Committee, Cooley had this to say: "Many people from law enforcement and throughout the political spectrum are urging me to run for Attorney General. I am proud of my crime fighting record as District Attorney. As a career prosecutor and District Attorney of Los Angeles County I have the experience and drive to be California’s top law enforcement officer." Cooley continues, "California’s Attorney General must be a law enforcement leader with a proven track record of reducing crime and fighting fraud and public corruption."
Cooley becomes a pretty formidable candidate out the gate, with a base of the largest county in the state, and a ballot title that is very helpful in running for Attorney General. The question now is whether he can play "catch up" to Harman who has been running for a very long time. Of course, if Eastman’s campaign, when announced, takes off… Who knows — suddenly victory can be achieved in the primary with less than 40% of the vote…