McClintock eyes House race

The closely watched Republican primary race to replace outgoing Rep. John Doolittle is drawing added intrigue as a leading California conservative says he is "seriously" considering entering the field.

State Sen. Tom McClintock, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate, confirmed in an interview Tuesday that he is eying the race and hopes to make a decision in the coming weeks.

"Obviously, it is a matter I take very seriously," said McClintock.

The Thousand Oaks lawmaker, who said he won't make an announcement this week, added: "I'll have more to say about this in the future. But at the moment, I'm simply listening to people in the district."

McClintock's interest is apparently being stoked by a recent poll – commissioned by a renowned conservative activist – that showed him with a sizable lead should he enter the 4th Congressional District race.

The poll by Moore Information Opinion Research of Portland, Ore., was commissioned by Ted Costa, a GOP activist who worked on the successful recall of Gov. Gray Davis.

Costa said he is neither working with McClintock nor endorsing his candidacy. But he said he ordered the 4th District poll because he was interested in the race and in getting "some responsible people representing us in the United States Congress."

Doug Elmets, spokesman for Doug Ose's campaign, said McClintock joining the field wouldn't affect the wealthy Sacramento Republican's bid to return to Congress.

Ose – who represented the Sacramento region's 3rd Congressional District for three terms – has already produced a television commercial and sent out mailers to 4th District voters.

"Doug Ose is absolutely committed," Elmets said.

Ose's political consultant, Richard Temple, downplayed the recent poll, saying it didn't reflect the dynamics of the 4th District race but merely showed that "Tom McClintock has a lot of name recognition."

"The first time Doug Ose ran for Congress he entered the race 40 points down and won in a landslide," Temple said.

But 4th District candidate Eric Egland said he would throw his support to McClintock if he enters the race.

"He is a proven conservative," said Egland, a Roseville intelligence consultant and Air Force reservist. "I've supported him in the past and I would love to support him again."

Former state Sen. Rico Oller, who is also seeking the seat, didn't return calls for comment. He told the Associated Press that McClintock "is a solid conservative" but added: "I just wonder why he doesn't run where he's from."

Though McClintock maintains a residence in Thousand Oaks, he lives primarily in Elk Grove. He previously rented a house for three years in Rocklin in the 4th District.

About the writer:

• Call Peter Hecht, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5539.