Dave Jones, the outgoing Democratic chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, announced today that he’ll run for state insurance commissioner in 2010.
"Californians should have a consumer champion as their insurance commissioner,” Jones said in a press release. “I will use the full authority of the office to protect Californians from unfair insurance practices."
The Sacramento legal aid attorney is termed out of his Assembly seat in 2010 and the current insurance commissioner, Republican Steve Poizner, is expected to make a run for governor.
Jones’ announcement adds to the possibility that in two years, if all the stars align just so, every statewide constitutional officer in California, except for lieutenant governor, could be a lawyer.
Starting from the top, we know that might-be gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is definitely a lawyer. Incumbent Secretary of State Debra Bowen is a 25-year member of the Bar. Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Controller John Chiang, also likely to seek second terms, are lawyers too. The future attorney general? By definition, a lawyer. Insurance commissioner: see Dave Jones. And finally, current Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell is not a lawyer. But he’s indicated he’s running for governor, which would potentially open up the job for two lawyers, state Sen. Joe Simitian and the former Senate Pro Tem John Burton. (Burton has opened up a campaign account for schools chief, but he’s much more likely to become chair of the state Democratic Party.)
Sorry, lieutenant governor fans. The only possible candidates we’ve heard of so far are a banker (state Sen. Dean Florez), a farmer (state Sen. Jeff Denham) and a state assemblyman (George Plescia).
Of course, this is all just speculation. But so is announcing that you’re running for office two years before the election, isn’t it?
— Cheryl Miller
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