This has been brewing in the rumor mill for a few months now it seems.  It looks like tomorrow will be the day that Tom Campbell makes it official. He’s going to run in the GOP Senate Primary rather than for Governor.

In a move that will rock the state’s political landscape, former Silicon Valley Congressman Tom Campbell will announce Thursday that he is dropping out of the California governor’s race to run for the U.S. Senate, the Mercury News has learned.

Campbell has scheduled two news conferences to make the announcement: one at 9 a.m. in Los Angeles, the other at 2:30 p.m. at the San Jose Fairmont hotel, according to an e-mail from Campbell’s campaign that was sent Monday to his major supporters. The e-mail referred to a “soon to be announced new venture” – confirmed by campaign sources to be a Senate run. (SJ Merc)

I think in order to rock the state’s political landscape, you sort have to a) not telegraph the move months ahead of time and b) have a clear path to victory.  

Tom Campbell would be a pretty tough race for Barbara Boxer.  I think the betting line would still lean Boxer, but he’s a more polished candidate than either Fiorina or DeVore. And he has the whole, not crazy thing going for him over DeVore. The trouble for Campbell is the same in the Senate race as it was in the Governor’s race, except with a lot less money sloshing around. Basically, he’s trying to run a campaign for the general electorate of the state in a primary.  And given that the only people really excited to come out and vote in the GOP primary will be the right-wingers, the primary will be really, really tough for Campbell.

I suppose on the bright side for him, he won’t be fighting Whitman’s crazy dollars in this race. But the real winner here has to be Chuck DeVore. The “I can play sane on TV” vote just got split between Fiorina and Campbell.  DeVore just might be able to somehow grab this nomination.

Come on, admit it, that would be hilariously fun.