CA Treasurer John Chiang will run for governor

We are in the middle of the 2016 campaign but the 2018 campaign to succeed California governor Jerry Brown has already started to heat up. Popular California treasurer John Chiang has jumped into the race, challenging popular California LG Gavin Newsom. Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is also expected to jump in. While Newsom is termed out of running for LG again, Chiang can run for re-election. Chiang has money and is a good fundraiser but I wouldn't be surprised if he drops down to run for re-election around January 2018 if his polling is bad.

The governor's race removes three very high profile candidates for the California senate seat that is expected to be open in 2018. People criticized Rep. Loretta Sanchez for running against heavyweight AG Kamala Harris, because she couldn't beat Harris. She is an underdog but she sets herself up as a favorite for Feinstein's seat by running this year. Sanchez will have created statewide awareness of her and will have developed a statewide campaign and fundraising infrastructure. That's something someone like Rep. Raul Ruiz doesn't have. She'd be the 2018 favorite.