Villaraigosa, who was recently elected to a second term as mayor, said his commitment to the city of Los Angeles prompted him to stay put.
"The answer is no," Villaraigosa said in an interview on CNN. "I feel compelled to complete what I started out to do... I can't leave this city in the middle of a crisis." He noted the city's unemployment rate, residents who have lost their homes and the budget deficit.
Villaraigosa is in line to head the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2011.
Villaraigosa was regarded as a top potential gubernatorial candidate and indicated he was considering the position. A recent poll of registered Los Angeles voters commissioned by the Los Angeles Times found that 48 percent of respondents did not want the mayor to run for governor while 42 percent did want him to run. Respondents gave Villaraigosa a 55 percent approval and a 37 percent disapproval rating.
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom is the only major Democrat officially in the race. Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown, a former governor, has begun fundraising and preparing a campaign but has yet to announce an official decision.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein would lead her party's field were she to enter the race, but the senator has stated the possibility is "very unlikely."
Democrats are eager to take back the seat that current Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger first won in the 2003 recall election of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger is term-limited and barred from seeking another term. Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, state insurance commissioner Steve Poizner, and former Rep. Tom Campbell, are among those Republicans vying for their party's nomination. All three Republicans currently operate exploratory committees.
CQ Politics rates the race Leans Democrat.
To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.
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This is interesting. You would think that he would jump at the chance since most (if not all) of the statewide elected officials come from the SF Bay Area and that the southland feels shut-out. He would be able to unite the southland in a statewide bid, while that nut Newsom and that idiot Brown would split the NorCal vote and allow Villaraigosa to win the primary. I'm old enough to remember Jerry Brown's 1st tenure as Governor. No thanks.
Posted by: NObama
| June 23, 2009 11:32 AM
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