Could you imagine anyone in their right (as opposed to left) political mind making the following statement even a year ago: Dianne Feinstein and Antonio Villaraigosa will be the Republican favorites for U.S. Senate and Governor in 2018? Hard to believe, even still! We are not there yet but consider…
In dropping out of the governor’s race, Republican Doug Ose told the Sacramento Bee, “in the absence of a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, I will be wholeheartedly supporting Dianne Feinstein.”
The Wall Street Journal editorialized that Dianne Feinstein and Antonio Villaraigosa are not progressive enough for the California Democratic Party. Feinstein only had the support of 37% of the Democratic delegates at the state convention, Villaraigosa a meager 9%.
Yet, Feinstein and Villaraigosa may make the November election under the top-two primary system to face Democrats ideological to their left.
In a sense, that old saying could apply here: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Perhaps that’s taking things a bit too far at this stage, yet if there are no Republicans in the major state races in November Republican voters may use the Democratic activist support for certain candidates to direct their votes to the candidates that do not enjoy that support.
Of course, there is a ways to go before such a scenario plays out.
With Ose out of the gubernatorial race, the two remaining higher-profile Republicans, businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen will try to consolidate support from the Republican base enough that one of the two would make the top-two final for November.
Is Republican Party chair Jim Brulte whispering in their ears that one candidate should run for U.S. Senate and the other for governor so that each could carry the Republican flag into the November campaigns?
Then there is the story that conservative radio personality Michael Savage is considering a run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. If one recognized Republican makes a bid for the seat they likely would make the run-off with Feinstein and Kevin de León splitting the Democratic vote.
We’ll see how all this speculation plays out. But if things stay as current polling indicates with a Newsom vs. Villaraigosa governor’s race and a Feinstein vs. de León U.S. Senate contest come November that unimaginable consideration of Republican favorites in November could come to pass.