[This column was reported for Political Breakdown, a bi-monthly newsletter offering analysis and context on Bay Area and California political news. Click here to subscribe.]
He was counted out and underestimated by pollsters and pundits, despite having a sterling resume. Vastly outspent by a wealthy opponent, he languished in the polls before sprinting to the finish line near the front of the pack as the votes were counted.
Read more Can We Swipe Our Way to Friendship?
No, I’m not talking about this week, but about 1998, when businessman Al Checchi, or “Al Checkbook” as he was called, spent $40 million — an eye-popping amount at the time — to win the Democratic nomination for an open governor’s seat. Lt. Gov. Gray Davis, a decidedly unflashy but steady technocrat, surprisingly won with the slogan, “Experience Money Can’t Buy.”
There were echoes of that earlier campaign in this year’s topsy-turvy, chaotic and unpredictable race for governor, where former Health and Human Services Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra ignored calls for him to drop out lest Democrats split the vote and let Republicans take the top two spots in November. Timing, luck and the sudden implosion of frontrunner Eric Swalwell’s campaign gave Becerra the oxygen he needed to stay alive and ultimately battle for first place in the preliminary returns.
Read more Conservative Activist Sonja Shaw Advances in State Superintendent Race
Read more I Got Access to Hundreds of Teacher Misconduct Complaints in California — and You Can Too