Contests for statewide offices are heating up
The hottest battles in 2018 election will be for governor and lieutenant governor.
First in a series
SACRAMENTO — While a bevy of political hopefuls have jumped into the 2018 races for governor and lieutenant governor, most of California’s other premiere statewide political posts aren’t exactly drawing a crowd.
Aside from governor, California has seven constitutional officers chosen by the statewide electorate — all will be on the 2018 ballot.
Two Democratic incumbents, Controller Betty Yee and Secretary of State Alex Padilla, have yet to get challengers. And the state treasurer and insurance commissioner posts, usually catnip to the politically ambitious, have one candidate apiece.
Most striking is the dearth of Republican candidates, a possible symptom of the party’s decline in California and dismal prospects for victory. The last time a Republican won a statewide race was 2006.
The June primary election, when the top two finishers advance to a general election, is still 11 months away, so there’s time for other candidates to join the fray. But the sluggish rollout to the 2018 campaign is still surprising given how coveted these posts usually are.
Though often obscure, the lower-rung offices have proven to be a gateway to higher office and an elixir for political longevity. Over the last century, 11 of 16 California governors ascended directly from a statewide office, including Gov. Jerry Brown, who twice went from a statewide office to the governor’s mansion.
The late Chief Justice Earl Warren leapfrogged from the state attorney general’s office to the governor’s office to the U.S. Supreme Court. In November, Kamala Harris hitched a ride from the attorney general’s office to the U.S. Senate.
Here’s where the statewide races stand:
Lt. governor
Before he decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2010, current gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom dismissed the job as “a largely ceremonial post ... with no real authority.” But that hasn’t stopped him from wringing out every ounce of political power and news coverage possible during his two terms in the position.
The lieutenant governor sits on the Board of Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of the California State University system and the State Lands Commission. Newsom used those spots as a megaphone to rail against tuition hikes, attack President Trump’s plans to open the coastline to offshore oil drilling and demand that immigrant students who entered the county illegally be shielded from deportation.
The lieutenant governor also serves as president of the state Senate and votes in cases of a tie, and becomes governor if that office is vacated for any reason.
Plenty of candidates are lining up to take Newsom’s place. The biggest potential wild card is Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who has $1.6 million in a campaign committee for lieutenant governor. But he is not actively running, and all indications are that he has his eyes on some other office.
That’d be good news for top contenders in the field. Those in the race include:
State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), who has quickly scooped up endorsements from prominent California Democrats.
Democratic fundraiser Eleni Kounalakis of San Francisco, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary and Hillary Clinton fundraiser.
Bay Area attorney Jeff Bleich, a former U.S. ambassador to Australia and special counsel to President Obama.
Los Angeles physician Asif Mahmood, a Democrat and supporter of a “Medicare for all” national healthcare plan. Mahmood, a Muslim and immigrant from Pakistan, describes himself as a “triple threat” to Trump.
Former Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, an independent who casts herself as the “Bernie Sanders of the East Bay.”
Republican David Hernandez, a San Fernando Valley community activist who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Los Angeles.
Attorney general
The race for California attorney general was basically blown to smithereens in January when Brown surprised many by appointing thenRep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) to fill the vacancy created after state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Becerra is now considered the front-runner in the 2018 race since he has the advantage of incumbency for the role as California’s top crime fighter and public safety officer. Becerra also has become one of President Trump’s more visible antagonists, challenging administration orders on immigration, the environment and efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Others in the running:
State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones was the weightiest Democrat in the race until Becerra showed up. Although Jones’ chances have been diminished, the former state assemblyman has strong support among Democrats.
South Lake Tahoe Judge Steven Bailey, a Republican. The El Dorado County judge was first elected to the bench in 2008.
Victims’ rights lawyer Nina Salarno, a Republican of Auburn and president of Crime Victims United of California.
Secretary of state
Right now, there’s not much going on in this race because Secretary of State Alex Padilla is the only declared candidate so far.
The secretary of state is California’s chief elections officer, overseeing federal and state elections, all voting equipment and candidates’ campaign finance disclosures. The agency also registers lobbyists, California businesses and maintains the state archives.
Padilla is a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council president who inherited an agency that for years was stuck in neutral with outdated technology and a lackluster track record on improving voter registration and turnout. The MIT graduate has spent his first term working to put the agency back on track.
Like most Democratic politicians in California, Padilla has continually bashed Trump on a variety of issues, including the president’s unsubstantiated claim of massive voter fraud in the November election. Padilla was among the first state elections officials to reject a request by Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who serves as vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, to hand over data from California’s 19.4 million voters.
The rundown of statewide positions continues in the next Essential Politics and at latimes.com/statewide.