There’s nothing like an Assemblyman who abandons his old seat mid-term to run in a district that he doesn’t represent.  This is the case with Asm. Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands Hemet) as he clearly wants the SD-37 seat that is being vacated by John Benoit.

Emmerson, R-Redlands, said he will formally announce his candidacy in the next few days. Assembly members Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, and Jeff Miller, R-Corona, said Thursday they are strongly considering a run, as is former Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont.

Democrat Justin Blake, a member of the Palm Springs school board, announced his candidacy for the seat Thursday.

*** *** ***

Redlands, though, isn’t in the 37th, which extends from Corona to Coachella and includes none of San Bernardino County. Emmerson said he is renting a home in Hemet, which is where he grew up and ran a dental practice. The city is fully within the 37th.

“I have a lot of friends there,” he said.(P-E 11/06/09)

Oh, yes, why I heard that Tom McClintock knew a cat in CA-04 too. And hey, it worked for him, so why not! Asm. Brian Nestande, one of the members who represents a portion of the District, has now said that he will not run for Benoit’s seat.

While Justin Blake might have something of a Google problem, I can assure you that he is not the Internet rip-off guy. He is a Palm Springs school board member and 12 year resident of Rancho Mirage, which, you know, is in the District. No website for him yet, but we’ll be sure to provide plenty of links when he does.