Denham says he won't back down in face of recall

'I'm going to fight back,' Denham tells editors

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State Sen. Jeff Denham said he won't back down in fighting the recall effort against him.

"I'm very convinced that when I tell my story to the people of my district, they will not only understand it but support me for it," Denham said in an interview Friday with The Modesto Bee editorial board.

"This is a fight between Don Perata and myself," said Denham, a Republican from Merced whose district includes parts of Modesto. "I'm going to fight back. This isn't something that I'm going to sit down and take."

California State Senator Jeff Denham. March 7, 2008. (Brian Ramsay/The Modesto Bee)

The recall movement against Denham began last summer when he refused to vote for a state budget that wasn't balanced. Many believe that state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat, is behind the recall.

"Standing strong on the budget last year wasn't an easy decision, wasn't a popular decision," Denham said.. "But what people should understand is that they elected me to be a leader. I think that leaders need to be courageous. And I showed a great deal of courage on (the budget).

"I'm standing strong on what I believe in," he said. "From that standpoint, I think that I will have an easy message to sell. The problem is, I'm going to have to spend a great deal of time selling that message and letting people know who I am and what I stand for."