The San Francisco Chronicle's Matier and Ross report that Speaker-elect Karen Bass had help from five major California politicos on her rise to the speakership:
Their math may be off (There are 48 Democrats in the Assembly, not 60), but here are the details.
The behind-the-scenes ascent of Karen Bass as the first African American woman to be named speaker of the state Assembly was put together by termed-out Speaker Fabian Núñez, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown - with assists from Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee.
Together, the group obtained commitments from 15 Democratic Assembly members to back Bass, a four-year veteran of the Legislature from Los Angeles, before the other nine contenders for speaker even got off the ground.
The play came to a head Wednesday afternoon, with Núñez and Bass calling in uncommitted Democratic lawmakers one by one and telling them this was their chance to get on the bandwagon.
Once they hit the critical mass of 30 votes - a majority of the 59 Democrats in the Assembly - Núñez called his Republican counterpart, Mike Villines, inviting GOP members on board as well.
The last ones invited to the party were the remaining rival Democratic candidates, who were told the deal was done and the best thing to do was to make it unanimous.
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