Something of a surprise — Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will not be running for California governor in 2010.
The Democratic contest is now down to former governor and state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom; on the Republican side, former EBay CEO Meg Whitman, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
Poizner’s out with a quick statement:
“While Mayor Villaraigosa and I disagree on many issues, he is someone I know, respect and like. I have enjoyed working with him and look forward to working with him in the future. The decision to run for higher office is never easy and I understand and respect the Mayor’s decision.
“The Mayor’s announcement today that he will not be a candidate for Governor of California doesn’t change the fundamental decision the people will make in the 2010 election: whether to reform California and move forward with innovative policies or stick with a failed status quo. While Jerry Brown, as usual, attempts to once again repackage himself and Gavin Newsom presents himself as an entirely new shiny package, the truth of the matter is that at their core both candidates represent the same discredited policies of the past that are dragging our state down. Brown and Newsom support higher taxes in an already high-tax state and more burdensome anti-jobs regulations in a state suffering from the highest unemployment in almost 70 years. There is a better way. That’s the debate I look forward to having with either Mr. Brown or Mr. Newsom in the general election.”
Villaraigosa announced his decision on CNN, and I’m stunned that Telemundo didn’t have the story first.