Denham's ambition is no big surprise

Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Atwater, has been planning a run for lieutenant governor for 18 months, so his announcement last week should have surprised no one. What is interesting is that at least two other candidates for the post are from the Central Valley and Mother Lode. There are a number of others considering a 2010 run to replace John Garamendi.

The point of an early announcement, of course, is to amass endorsements and money, thereby discouraging and edging out other possible candidates. Denham has lined up an impressive list of Republican supporters, including the Republican legislators from our area -- Sen. Dave Cogdill and Assemblymen Bill and Tom Berryhill.

As for money, at the midsummer reporting deadline, Denham had a little more than $1.1 million in his various campaign accounts. The next statements are due at the end of January.

The effort to recall Denham, which failed last spring, could work in his favor because it gave him statewide media attention that he otherwise would not have gotten.

Just how far off is this election? Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who was among the first out of the gate to run for governor in 2010, has a counter on his Web site indicating that it is 541 days until the June 2010 primary. So don't feel obliged to pay much attention just yet. By the way, Tom and Bill Berryhill show up on Poizner's endorsement list.

Rep. Jerry McNerney has gotten a seat on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, considered one of the most powerful bodies in Congress, with jurisdiction over energy, the environment, consumer protection, telecommunications and health care programs. Rep. Henry Waxman took over as committee chairman from John Dingell and is expected to be aggressive on issues such as global warming.

Every year or two, The Bee works with the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Democratic and Republican leaders to offer a free workshop for people interested in running for office. The idea is to help people understand what is involved so they can be better candidates. The next workshop is tentatively set for the evening of Feb. 26. Details and registration information is forthcoming.

Sly is the editor of the opinions pages. Contact her at jsly@modbee.com or 578-2317.