Political Wire

Members should sign in for the full experience.

Newsom Will Not Run for Senate in California

January 12, 2015 at 12:33 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 43 Comments

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said on Facebook that he will not seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Said Newsom: “It’s always better to be candid than coy. While I am humbled by the widespread encouragement of so many and hold in the highest esteem those who serve us in federal office, I know that my head and my heart, my young family’s future, and our unfinished work all remain firmly in the State of California – not Washington D.C. Therefore I will not seek election to the U.S. Senate in 2016.”

Waiting On Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris

January 12, 2015 at 10:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

The exact timing of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) retirement announcement caught California Democrats off-guard — and launched a fluid, high-stakes decision making process by Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), BuzzFeed reports.

“The situation is more fluid than it is opaque. Most expect one to run for Senate in 2016, and the other for governor in 2018, succeeding Jerry Brown. In interviews this weekend, people close to Newsom and Harris described a fast-changing, somewhat uncomfortable three-day period of deliberation in which each has sought advice and consulted family, while navigating the concentric circles of their shared political universe, of which there are plenty.”

“Still, there is no ‘deal’ between Newsom and Harris. No ‘smoke-filled room,’ no secret pact that would install one as senator and the other as governor. The two Democrats, who share a long and complicated history, have not even spoken directly since before Boxer announced her retirement, according to a person familiar with their correspondence.”

Steyer Moving Closer to Senate Run

January 10, 2015 at 7:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

“Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer is moving hard towards a bid to replace one of the Senate’s staunchest green champions, retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA),” The Hill reports.

“Steyer has been working the phones to gauge interest in a campaign since Boxer’s announcement Thursday. He’s been in contact with the California strategists and backers who he worked with to push through two state initiatives, as well as allies in labor and the statehouse. He’s weighing how to keep his super-PAC, NextGen Climate, alive and active during a run. And he’s been poring through recent polling testing his profile, numbers his allies say indicate he could do well.”

Steyer Considering Senate Bid in California

January 9, 2015 at 8:20 am EST By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

“Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer is mulling a run for Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat, according to a person close to the former hedge fund trader,” Politico reports. “The person added that Steyer has been approached by some in the liberal community to run for Boxer’s seat, while others have urged him to run for governor of California in 2018. Another option: running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat if she retires in 2018.”

Washington Post: “Political insiders took note, for instance, when Steyer showed up in Sacramento this week to celebrate Brown’s inauguration.”

Who Will Replace Barbara Boxer in the Senate?

January 8, 2015 at 8:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Los Angeles Times: “Focus immediately turned to state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.”

“Harris and Newsom have statewide profiles and Bay Area support. Villaraigosa, a former Assembly speaker, has name recognition in the state’s largest media market. Steyer has wealth.”

Boxer Will Not Run Again

January 8, 2015 at 11:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) announced she will not run for re-election in a video interview with her grandson.

Bloomberg reports Boxer had told close friends, including donors and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, in advance of releasing the video today on her political action committee’s website.

California Awaits Boxer’s Decision

December 8, 2014 at 5:07 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

“A parade of ambitious California public figures, who’ve spent years itching for a shot at the state’s top political offices, are anticipating a shake-up of the state’s political hierarchy that could begin in a matter of weeks with the possible retirement of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. And some big names — including the mayor of Los Angeles — are already sizing up possible bids to succeed her,” Politico reports.

“Sources close to Boxer, 74, say the outspoken liberal senator will decide over the holidays whether to seek reelection in 2016 and will announce her plans shortly after the new year. Few of her friends believe she will run for a fifth term. Boxer has stopped raising money and is not taking steps to assemble a campaign.”