Lockyer to Run for Treasurer, Not Governor

By Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO — Despite a deep personal ambition to become governor and $11 million backing him up, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer said today he would not challenge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger next year and declared the political atmosphere in California "obscene."

Lockyer's decision to run for state treasurer instead opens the field for other prominent Democrats to challenge the Republican governor — if he decides to seek reelection, as most expect — without a well-funded and well-known challenger who could drain their coffers in a bitter primary battle.

"I've decided not to spend the next 10 years of my life in partisan hand-to-hand combat," Lockyer said in a statement. "Unfortunately, that kind of conflict seems inextricably woven into activist expectations and our political culture."

The move also signals that Lockyer, considered one of the keener political minds in Sacramento, believes he cannot topple Schwarzenegger despite the governor's recent troubles. Lockyer was considered a significant threat in part because he carries one of the most coveted ballot designations for any ambitious politician: the state's top cop.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-042805lockyer_lat,0,7963201.story?coll=la-home-headlines

That's excellent news. He's done a fine job as AG and will be a terrific Treasurer.

Angelides got a jump on the Gov campaign and locked up significant endorsements, so now there will be no campaign conflicts between these two good men.

he's done a shitty job as AG and would do an even worse as treasurer

I don't know what you're basing your statement on.

:shrug:

He voted for Arnold. It cost him MY vote for eternity.

Another friend felt the same way about Lockyer, having heard he voted for Arnold. Here's what I told him:

"Lockyer has been a wonderful Dem during his terms of office as AG. He's the one who led the legal fight against Enron to try to get our $8 billion back and he's been on the front lines for education and abortion rights forever, among other progressive causes. He did vote for Arnie, since he had a last minute dispute with Bustamante about the recall itself (he was against it, Bustamante had said he was against it and then let personal ambition color him and said he was for it) just before the election. He voted for Arnie because he'd worked with him before on some education and children's issues, and thought that he could keep him in line and work with him again. He was a teacher once and feels very strongly about kids and education. He's since come to regret his decision to vote for Arnold and has tried to explain, but it was a terminal wound for him politically. As affectionate as we feel towards him personally, we can't support his run for governor at this point, even though earlier we thought we would. We have to support a Dem who can win and at this point, Bill can't.

My daughter saw him at the convention and said that even though he's declared for the gov race, he hasn't got a prayer. From the look of him, he knows it, too. There were whispers and private conversations throughout the convention, "...but he voted for Arnold!" We're just waiting for him to withdraw and endorse Angelides.

All of this is first-hand information from my daughter, who knows Lockyer from her Y&G activities for the past five years as well as her delegate status at the recent Dem convention, as well as talking with him at length here in San Diego last year.

What else is there to say?

" Don't let the door hit you on your way to political oblivian Traitor"
same goes for do-nothing Bustamante and any "relatives" he has in the wings.

You're harsh. No wonder so many good people don't want to run for office. One mistake or unpopular move and they're put in the meatgrinder. I hope you manage to be as perfect in your own life as you expect your leaders to be.

YOUR reputation against you...

is it?