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Maldonado considering run for governor

March 4, 2013
Abel Maldonado

Abel Maldonado

Former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado said Sunday he is seriously considering a 2014 run for governor against Democratic incumbent Jerry Brown. [SanFranciscoChronicle]

Maldonado told the Chronicle he could “bring a different face” and a new Republican message to California and that he is strongly mulling the run against the three term Democrat not only to strengthen the party, but also to encourage the kind of vibrant two-party political debate that makes for “a better state.”

“I’ve been encouraged publicly, and privately to offer a challenge to Brown as the California Republican Party is in such dire straits that it appears the Democrat could easily sail to a fourth term without serious opposition,” Maldonado said to the Chronicle. “At this point in time, I’m seriously thinking about it. I think I need to decide sooner rather than later.”

During a three-day GOP statewide confab in Sacramento, Republicans discussed Maldonado’s possible candidacy as a path to help the GOP rebound from historically low voter registration and a minority status in the state legislature.

Critics note that Maldonado has lost his last three races. In 2010 he lost his bid for Lt. Governor to Democrat Gavin Newsom. Then in 2012, he made an unsuccessful House bid against Democrat Lois Capps

During the election, Capps attacked Maldonado repeatedly over his personal and family tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.

Maldonado told the Chronicle his party must aggressively offer “a new message” in California and he rejects the idea that a battle against the popular Democratic governor would be a “suicide mission.”

“When I was picking strawberries, and I had strawberry stains on my pants and no (water) cooler in the fields, people said, “that guy’s on suicide mission,” Maldonado said to the Chronicle. “Those are the prices you have to pay to achieve what you want to achieve.

“Hard work? I’m not afraid of that.”

 


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You gotta love these narcissistic politicians. We need leaders right now. Give our formerly great state a break.


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I’ll give him credit, hes lost 3 times, doesn’t show up at town hall meetings, has problems at the family run farm gets bad mouthed in the press and he still wants to take a shot at this, either he doesn’t hear whats going on out here in the rest of the world or he has brass balls.

The Rep party better get someone up and running to try to straighten out this state, the tax and spend thats going on here now is just going to break the taxpayer an dis breaking business, not counting the air resorces boards that run rampant with rules and regs that are just set up to break, we can’t go much longer like this, we’ve been fire taxed twice the last few years, gas taxes continue to go up, sales taxes go up, and please vote more for the schools, with the sequister going on all, they can do is talk about cuts to the elderly,schools and fire and police, when will it end.


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This state has the worst of the worst, whether they be democrats or republicans. Can’t blame dishonest people from taking advantage of ignorant masses, it’s in their nature.


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Yo, Moldy. Stick with the strawberries.


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Yea they are just like his politics. Soft and mushy.


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Ripens early and doesn’t age well. Use by freshness date or discard.


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Here is WHY the republican party doesn’t get anywhere. They keep putting up guys like Maldo, that most republican’s I know, have no interest in wanting to vote for.


The party needs to get off it’s lazy ass and put up a serious contender and stop putting up this retread, that the majority does not want!!!


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or was is just him putting himself forward?


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At least the republicans you know are somewhat honest and know a lousy person when they see one. The local dems seem to just circle the wagons and shove their trash down our throats. I hope it changes, and soon.


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The reason that the Republicans do so poorly in this state is that they only support candidates that toe the line for conservative causes that don’t have the support of most voters. They may not like (and thus not nominate) a moderate who disagrees with them on issues like gay rights or immigration but, in doing so, they condemn themselves to limited victories in safe electoral districts. Until they realize that they are going to have to compromise on some issues to get enough votes in the general election, they will remain relatively powerless in state government.


Maldonado may not be a great candidate for other reasons, but a good candidate with his political views might actually have a chance in the general election. There is no chance that someone with only mainstream conservative political positions will win a statewide election anymore. There has to be enough of a mix to draw away some of the support from the liberals.


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Isn’t the idea of a “party” (politically speaking) to have a firm view on key issues? Unwavering ideals, morals and standards? OK, maybe just the ideals, as politics has no morals or standards (especially in this state). The reasons republicans do so poorly is they often abandon their core values and “moderate” themselves to the media’s interpretation (and school system’s programming) of what “people” want. Democrats never have to abandon whatever ideal they have, and they have a completely complicit media and entertainment industry to push it, along with a school system to program it.


Most people are libertarian on things, leaning conservative, and truly “left” people are much fewer than most people think; however, if we’re always told, day and night / cradle to grave, that a certain way is right and what the “majority” is, then yes, you’ll get those results.


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Abel, take my advice.


The world will be a much better place if you just give up your quest for fame and fortune and stay at home and manage your business.


Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.


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Maybe he could run for Pope. At least he has not lost three times in Rome.


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Don’t want Mal do Nada for any government job.


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Yawn!


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Nah. Brown is a tough, fair and intelligent fellow. Abel will do just fine in the private sector.


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I dunno, Maldonado/Ronstadt ticket?


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