That sound you hear is Kamala Harris breathing a sigh of relief, as Capitol Alert reports Jackie Speier will not run for Attorney General and will stay in Congress instead:
“She’s going to remain in Congress where she can focus on issues that she cares about,” said Nathan Ballard, Speier’s campaign spokesman.
Speier had huddled during the weekend with friends, supporters, political acquaintances and members of the attorney general’s office who urged her to seek the position expected to be vacated by incumbent Jerry Brown’s expected run for governor, Ballard said.
But Speier met with her family Sunday night, and they decided together that she will remain in Washington, Ballard said.
“They had a family discussion and arrived at a mutual decision that the timing isn’t right for her to run for statewide office at this point,” Ballard said.
This is the right move for Speier. She could have won the Democratic primary for AG, but she’d have merely been seen as marking time until Jerry Brown leaves office (if he wins) or until 2014 to take on Meg Whitman if she won the governor’s race.
Now Speier can stay in Congress, which would be a good launching pad if she wanted to take on Dianne Feinstein in 2012. I should note I have ZERO evidence that she’s actually considering doing so – I just think it would make all kinds of sense. Speier racked up a long and progressive record of legislation while in Sacramento, and would be able to point to a progressive voting record from her era in the House of Representatives. We all want a primary challenger to Dianne Feinstein, and Speier would be a good one.
Jackie Speier has said many times that Dianne Feinstein is the politician she admires most among current elected officials in California. She came out of Leo Ryan’s office and Ryan and Feinstein were allies.