California politicians to watch in 2013

While California did not determine the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, the state had no shortage of political dramas last year, from the state's budget woes to the debut of the "top two" primary election ballots that send candidates with the most votes, regardless of political party, to the general election in November.

Voters responded by dumping one longtime incumbent, Rep. Pete Stark, D-San Lorenzo, in favor of a fellow Democrat in the East Bay.

At the same time, many of the winning candidates were backed by California's growing ethnic voting blocs - particularly Latino and Asian American voters - that underscore extensive demographic changes that began in California and are sweeping the nation.

Here are 10 politicians to watch this year. Some of them are mavericks, some are veterans, and some are promising newcomers.

Rep. Darrell Issa: The San Diego County Republican, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has been the GOP's unwavering watchdog and a headache to the Obama administration. Issa has led three dozen investigations and has won the admiration of Republicans by providing what has been lauded as "robust oversight." Democrats might call it overkill, but Issa's work makes him a player to keep an eye on.

Rep. Ami Bera: The only Indian American serving in the House of Representatives, the Sacramento-area Democrat defeated a GOP name brand, Rep. Dan Lungren. With Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal the only other major Indian American public official, Bera has a high-profile platform to score political and financial support from a fast-growing community with growing political clout.

Jim Brulte: The former Republican Senate leader from Rancho Cucamonga (San Bernardino County) is a highly respected moderate voice of reason in the GOP. He has been all but formally named as the next state chairman of the party. Brulte, a force in Sacramento for years, has clout with donors and the support of power players - but he'll need a lot of help in reviving a Republican Party heading into the ICU.

State Sen. Mark Leno: As a popular state legislator on the forefront of LGBT rights, the San Francisco Democrat is bold. He has signaled his intention to take on Proposition 13 with a constitutional amendment that could make it easier to pass local taxes for schools with 55 percent of the vote instead of the two-thirds currently required under the 1978 measure approved by state voters. With a district that largely mirrors House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's district, he's a likely front-runner in the race for her seat should she decide to retire.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy: The House GOP whip is a talented communicator and conservative activist from Bakersfield who has mustered GOP strength and outreach to younger voters in California. With Reps. Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, he led the "Young Guns" movement in the House, then split from Ryan and House Speaker John Boehner in opposing the "fiscal cliff" bill. He continues to be one of the few statewide Republicans with a national profile.

Kim Vann: The Colusa County supervisor, a Republican, failed to unseat Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove (Sacramento County), in the November election. But in a state where the GOP desperately needs to expand its base and its appeal to women, party leaders should keep Vann on the short list for future roles. Smart, well schooled in California issues and a moderate, pro-choice Republican, Vann may represent the future of her party - if party leaders are smart enough to figure it out.

Rep. Raul Ruiz: The physician and son of farmworkers from Coachella (Riverside County) shocked pundits by ousting longtime GOP Rep. Mary Bono Mack in November. Ruiz, a Democrat who was the first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from Harvard, is no wannabe: He is a health care activist in Mexico and the United States, where he has been instrumental in major programs to serve the poor.

Rep. Eric Swalwell: He bucked the Democratic establishment in California, had no name recognition and was given virtually no chance of unseating 20-term incumbent Rep. Pete Stark. But the Dublin city councilman, 32, pulled it off. He sits on the House Science and Technology Committee, has been recommended for the Homeland Security Committee and was named assistant whip of his party's caucus. The former Alameda County prosecutor said one of his first acts will be to co-sponsor gun-control legislation.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom: The former San Francisco mayor has made news, not all of it positive, with frank statements about the uselessness of his state job. His penchant for news-making has earned him the ire of Gov. Jerry Brown, who has joked about Newsom's ambition. But like it or not - as Newsom intoned in a speech on same-sex marriage - the Current TV host knows how to get in front of issues and galvanize young voters. After leading on marriage equality, he's now calling for the legalization of marijuana.

Harmeet Dhillon: The San Francisco attorney, who chairs the Republican Party in San Francisco and is running for vice chairman of the state party, has been described as a "Republican leader with a twist." She is an original: The daughter of conservative Sikhs, born in India and raised in a rural North Carolina town, she later served on the board of the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Dhillon is outspoken, passionate, a gifted communicator and an activist Republican who has worked to expand her party's appeal.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/California-politicians-to-watch-in-2013-4191165.php

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