Open Primary
The Democratic field for the race became open when the state's most well-known and popular politician Dianne Feinstein decided in January 1998 not to run for Governor despite a request from President Bill Clinton. She decided not to run in the race because of the difficulty of campaigning, the "deteriorated" nature of California statewide campaigns, and her desire to continue her work in the Senate. Former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta also decided not to run.
Al Checchi, a Democratic airline executive and political newcomer, was among the first to declare for the race. Gray Davis also declared around the same time. Congresswoman Jane Harman joined the contest in early April 1998. In early polling the three candidates were within 12 points of each other, with Davis in last. Harman spent $14.4 million in her race for Governor. Checchi spent just under $39 million on his campaign. The airline executive's campaign included numerous ads, one of which included school children trying to pronounce his name and another with his wife speaking Spanish. Checchi did not identify himself as a Democrat in most of his early campaign ads. Harman briefly overtook Checchi in state polls but declined after Checchi launched a series of negative campaign ads against her. Many of Feinstein's top campaign advisers worked for Harman during the Gubernatorial primary. Harman's campaign ran a biographical ad of her at the 1960 Democratic convention.
Davis ran on the campaign slogan "experience money can't buy," and he promised to make education his top priority, which matched voters' concerns in exit polls. All three major Democratic candidates made education one of their top priorities in the campaign. Davis was third in polling until the final week of the campaign, and because he had trouble raising money during the early months of the campaign, he did not run campaign ads early in the race as did Harman and Checchi. Davis spent 9 million in total campaign funds in the primary and later criticized Checchi for giving money to Republicans Steve Forbes and Bob Dole in 1996.
Lungren spent $7.7 million in the primary. Davis finished first in the primary, followed by Lungren, Checchi, and Harman.
Read more about this topic: California Gubernatorial Election, 1998
Famous quotes containing the words open and/or primary:
“Thoroughly to unfold the labyrinths of the human mind is an arduous task.... In order to dive into those recesses and lay them open to the reader in a striking and intelligible manner, ‘tis necessary to assume a certain freedom in writing, not strictly perhaps within the limits prescribed by rules.”
—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
“What had begun as a movement to free all black people from racist oppression became a movement with its primary goal the establishment of black male patriarchy.”
—bell hooks (b. c. 1955)