***BREAKING NEWS*** (Are you signed up for FR’s Twitter Feed? We break news there first).
While it breaks our hearts, truly, to deliver such bad news to California’s Democrat State Controller and Union-Tool John Chiang, his opportunity for an easy road to re-election ends, literally, right now.
I am pleased to make an exclusive announcement that conservative State Senator Tony Strickland will be seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for State Controller. Strickland, as readers will recall, was the Republican Party’s nominee against then Board of Equalization Member John Chiang for the office of Controller back in 2006. Strickland raised millions of dollars for that run, but along with the rest of the down-ticket was stifled by an “it’s all about me” candidate at the top of the GOP ticket by the name of… Oh yes, Schwarzenegger. Arnold’s coat-tails were non-existent, when you consider that the other GOPer that won statewide office in 2006, Steve Poizner, poured a lot of his own resources into his crushing of Cruz Bustamante in the Insurance Commissioner race (watch here for a reminder of how Bustamante lost his election my talking about losing weight – seriously).
I spoke yesterday with FR friend Mitch Zak, of Randle Communications, who is helping Strickland 
with the roll out of his candidacy, who confirmed that Strickland’s “official” campaign launch will be at the California Republican Party Convention a week from now in Santa Clara County. Zak told me that Strickland, who was an early endorser of Meg Whitman’s candidacy for Governor, was very strongly lobbied by Whitman to run for this office, “Whitman believes that the GOP should have a strong ticket this Fall, and that Tony Strickland on that ticket running for Controller would be a great addition.”
(In the photo: Meg Whitman, State Senator Tony Strickland, Governor Pete Wilson, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland)
It’s a win-win for Strickland, no doubt. If Whitman is the nominee, then someone with whom Strickland has been close with be at the top of the ticket and working hard to bring both herself, and Strickland, and the whole GOP ticket successfully across the finish line. That said, if Steve Poizner is the Republican standard bearer this fall, he too is very committed to electing Republicans along with him.
I was talking with Strickland last night, who reminded me that he and I have been friends now roughly half of our lives, most of those in the trenches as conservative activists, taking on the advocates of big government and opponents of liberty wherever we have found them, whether on the college campus or in the State Capitol. Let me assure you that Strickland’s commitment to conservatism is genuine and heartfelt. It would be a huge boon to California taxpayers if the current liberal in the Controller’s office were booted, and replaced with a friend of freedom like Strickland.
Strickland’s has well earned his reputation for being a hard worker – which has paid off in his past campaigns for the State Assembly and especially in his hard-fought State Senate victory in 2008. As I said when I began this commentary, John Chiang had best focus all of his efforts on his re-election bid. He will need to do that, because Tony Strickland will be very formidable, and 2010 has the potential to be a banner year across America for Republicans.
We will be on hand at the CRP Convention to cover Strickland’s “official” rolling out of his campaign for Controller.
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