In my brief post last night, I indicated that the race for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Congressman George Radanovich was a complete tossup, given the existence of two strong candidates from just outside the North end of the District, former Congressman Richard Pombo, and State Senator Jeff Denham, and two strong Fresno area candidates, former Secretary of State Bill Jones and former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson.

That list of strong Fresno area candidates is now down to one, as Bill Jones has indicated that he is NOT running. This development elevates the candidacy of Jim Patterson and should cause some consternation for Pombo and Denham.

Pombo is a conservative’s conservative with a great ag and natural resources pedigree, but he lives outside the district and is relatively unknown to Fresno area voters, other than powerful Westside farming interests. He can raise the money to be competitive, but he isn’t a populist, and his issue strengths, while considerable, are not the type to drive turnout in his… Read More

Below is a lengthier statement that I just received from FR friend State Senator Bob Dutton in response to the Governor’s State Of The State Address…

Yesterday featured a rash of surprising announcements about top Democrats, facing tough reelection prospects, ending their campaigns.

In Connecticut, embattled Senator Chris Dodd, chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, indicated he would not seek reelection. Dodd faced several well-funded GOP candidates and trailed to all of them in head-to-head matchups. However, he will be replaced with Attorney General Richard Bloomenthal, the most popular politician in the state, dramatically improving Democrats chances of holding that seat.

In Colorado, Governor Doug Ritter, still in his first term and mired in poor approval ratings, decided to forgo reelection. Democrats will likely tap Denver Mayor John Lickenhooper, a moderate with strong name ID. Former Congressman Scott McInnis is the consensus Republican candidate and he’s expected to have a much tougher time with Lickenhooper than he would have with Ritter.

Michigan Lt. Governor John Cherry ended his bid to succeed Governor Jennifer Granholm after polls consistently showed him losing to any of the Republican candidates. Several Democrats are looking at the race but speculation centers on… Read More

Former California Secretary of State Bill Jones just released a statement (see below) letting people know he will NOT be running for the 19th Congressional District seat currently occupied by Republican George Radanovich, who will retire at the end of this term.

Who does this help? Some will say that former Fresno Mayer Jerry Patterson is the winner because Jones would have split the vote from the Fresno end of the district. Another valid analysis would be that if Jones were in, both he and Senator Denham were so supportive of John McCain’s Presidential bid (very early) that they might have split up some supporters.

Anyways, here’s Jones’ statement:

It has been an honor to have served the people of California over the last 20+ years. During that time my highest priority has been to deliver on the reforms needed for our state in a way that reflects honor and integrity… Read More

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's president Jon Coupal released official reaction to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's annual “State of the State” address today:

“Any attempt to bring down California's $20 billion budget deficit must begin with three things: creating jobs, easing revenue volatility, and cutting spending.

Streamlining the permitting of construction projects and creating CEQA exemptions will take the brakes off job creation and will help to bring down California's astronomically high 12.5% unemployment rate.

Job growth will lead to more stable revenue streams, but only if we end California's over-reliance on the few major income earners to help balance the budget every year.

In the area of Tax reform, a flat tax – where all Californians are invested in the economic climate of California – would be preferable to the Tax Commission's recommendation of a VAT-style tax.

We do not believe it is “bold” to play a game of 'hide the tax' with hard-earned taxpayer dollars.We also join with the Governor in his concern over… Read More

When we broke the news on FlashReport last July that Steve Danon was in the race for San Diego County Supervisor in 2012 — whether or not incumbent Pam Slater-Price would seek her own sixth term in the Third District — some political watchers raised eyebrows about the timing. After all, the election was still three years away.

However, Danon’s apparent "early foray" has done nothing to hurt him, it seems. His campaign is attracting support from a mix of influentials that haven’t shown a willingness to oppose a sitting supervisor since perhaps the mid-1980s. In fact, Danon could be demonstrating more progress in a 2012 effort than some of the current challengers are displaying in this year’s races.

No surprise that Danon has the support of his boss, Congressman Brian Bilbray. It was also announced several weeks ago that the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association was backing him (early even for them).

As the press release below notes, Danon is garnering some additional support. Campaign statements will show the chairs of both the… Read More

2010 is already here and it’s looking like it’s going to be another grim year for California’s economy. As we look ahead and try to find solutions to our state’s problems, it’s easy to forget about the decisions that brought us to our current plight.

Americans for Prosperity of California has produced a 5-minute video detailing 12 of the decisions California’s government made in 2009 that completely lacked common sense. It’s actions like the 12 listed in the video that explain how government intrusion has led to so many of our current problems.

… Read More

While the recall effort against Aseemblyman Anthony Adams may have failed to qualify, apparently proponents of it will be able to claim victory anyways…

Today Adams announced with little fanfare that he will not be seeking reelection this year.

While Adams did not specify exactly why he is retiring early, one can likely conclude that the specter of a tough reelection in a June primary would weigh heavily on such a decision.

Adams rather brazenly and infamously was one of a handful of Republicans last February who “reneged” on their written pledge to oppose tax increases — and not cast a vote to enact $16 billion in higher sales, income and car taxes — but also voted to place billions more in higher taxes on the ballot (these were soundly defeated by voters).

Adams' district is a “safe GOP” seat. Look for his successor to make it clear that the next Assemblyman from the 59th District will not vote to raise taxes.… Read More