Dan Schnur, the current Chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, is a Republican appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger. He is well-suited for the job because he has a political campaign background and understands the dynamics of campaigns. He has a great pedigree as Chairman of the Unruh School of Politics at USC. I wish he was more "pro First Amendment" in his job, but I think he is an improvement on his predecessor Ross Johnson, and he has a reputation for being a fair person. If Meg Whitman is elected Governor, I think Schnur will stay at the Commission.
But what will happen if Jerry Brown is elected Governor? Well, Schnur will surely not keep his current job. Political observers are starting to throw some names around and the group is interesting. One name I have heard is Professor Dan Lowenstein, recently retired for most duties at UCLA Law School. Dan was the very first Chairman of the FPPC under Governor Jerry Brown, and must be the most knowledgeable election law scholar in our state. However, I have it on good authority that he will not accept the job, even if offered, which pays around $133,000 a year and requires living in the Sacramento area.
Other names I have heard are Shirley Wechsler and Mary Ellen Padilla. Wechsler is a long-time Brown crony who has been Vice-President of the Americans for Democratic Action. Hold on to your copy of the U.S. Constitution if she gets appointed! Padilla is a professional campaign Treasurer based in Los Angeles who has a reputation for knowing her stuff. A sleeper candidate might be Larry Levine, the Valley based political consultant and father of former Assembly Elections committee member, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine. Larry is a progressive Democrat but also a fair guy who understands campaigns and the First Amendment. But in the end I am not sure he’d take the job if offered.
There is also the chance that a Democrat member of the Legislature or Congress who gets knocked off in the election next week might emerge as a candidate. But other than Loretta Sanchez (D-47CD), I’m not so sure many Democrats are in fact going to lose their seats in California. And Sanchez would not have a clue about what the FPPC is all about.
I know one thing, the worst possible Jerry Brown appointment to the FPPC would be his spokesman, Sterling Clifford, "The Liar," whom I hope moves back to Baltimore immediately after Nov. 2, assuming he has no warrants out in Maryland.