Eye on 2010

"It's going to help me connect to everyday voters," Hampton said of social media tools during an interview with CQ Politics Monday. "You can collect people in one place where you can talk to them all at once."

Tauscher has been tapped to serve as Undersecretary of State for arms control and international security. If confirmed by the Senate, Tauscher is expected to resign her East Bay suburban seat and create a vacancy that will be filled by special election.

Hampton is already claiming he will beat Democratic state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, who received an early endorsement Thursday from Democratic Assemblyman Tom Torlakson. Torlakson had been floated as a candidate for the seat.

Hampton, a former political editor at the San Francisco Examiner, believes his ability to draw from the technology community, his church community, and his political community will boost him to a win in the special election. Hampton is assembling a campaign team and said he expects to raise $500,000 in the span of a few months.

Pending confirmation by the Senate Tauscher is expected to resign her seat. State law directs Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to set a special election for House vacancies.