Gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner trekked out to the California State Fair on Thursday hoping to stir some excitement for his campaign.
But on this sweltering afternoon, nobody seemed to notice the state insurance commissioner as he strolled the busy fairgrounds. At one point, a giant alligator on view for a dollar made a bigger stir.
That didn't stop the former billionaire entrepreneur from pitching his message of leaner government, more local control of education and lower taxes to whoever would listen.
Poizner finally found a receptive audience in members of the Western Fairs Association, and the candidate plunged into the grip-and-grin.
Poizner said in an interview later that he wasn't worried about the slow start and that his campaign was "ramping up aggressively now" despite poll numbers showing him running a distant third for the Republican nomination behind former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
Poizner trails even though his largely self-financed campaign spent $1.4 million in the first six months of the year to Campbell's $161,274.
Whitman spent about $6.2 million, with much of the money coming from her own pocket. Primary voters will cast ballots in June 2010.
"The early polls are interesting," Poizner said, "but they just reflect the fact that my opponents have higher name ID. We haven't even started our advertising campaign yet.
"I can guarantee you this: Every single Republican primary voter will know all about me as we get closer to Election Day."
Poizner found more love at the Sacramento County Republican Party booth and later at a meeting of local Republican women groups at the El Macero Country Club.
Earlier in the day, he wore his insurance commissioner hat and announced he would file a lawsuit challenging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature's move to sell $1 billion in assets from the State Compensation Insurance Fund.
Poizner hit a home run at the El Macero event when he pledged to beef up the U.S.-Mexico border with National Guard or even California Highway Patrol officers. He also won applause by calling for a part-time Legislature.
"There are billions to be saved by overhauling and modernizing state government, and we better get to it," Poizner said.
Woodland resident Wanda Freeman said she had known little about Poizner before hearing him out Thursday but came away from the poolside event a believer.
"I'm very impressed by him," Freeman said. "I like the border issue, water and public safety. I only knew his name and that he was insurance commissioner before. Now, I think I'll vote for him."
Call Jack Chang, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5543.
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