Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse, a Democrat, has announced that he will not run in the recall election of Sen. Jeff Denham.
"Although there is so much that can and should be done in state government, my responsibility is to the people who elected me," he said a statement given to the Merced Sun-Star.
Former Democratic Assemblyman Simon Salinas has also expressed interest in the seat.
Meanwhile, Hank Shaw of the Stockton Record blogs about the Denham campaign's event today criticizing how signatures were gathered to qualify the recall:
What is highly amusing is that the Denham folks are asking local law enforcement to investigate the matter. Why is this amusing? Because the man who would be responsible for such an investigation would be none other than ... Larry Morse, the Merced County District Attorney. Yes, the same Larry Morse who would have clearly been Denham's most formidible opponent in the recall, had he chosen to pull the trigger.
Denham's frustration with the Democratic leadership who funded the recall, a campaign committee tied to Senate leader Don Perata and the Democratic Party that provided the necessary funds, is increasingly spilling into the Capitol.
On Tuesday, Denham challenged the Senate leadership on the floor to bring Darcel Woods, a Board of Parole Hearings appointee held in Rules Committee, to the floor for a vote.
But he lost in a procedural maneuver, outvoted by majority Democrats.
"The leadership of this house is engaging in blatant discrimination against Commissioner Darcel Woods. Yes, discrimination of a horrible nature is going on in this situation," Denham said.
Then at today's Senate Education Committee hearing, Republicans tried to block legislation by Sen. Gil Cedillo by citing a rule that does not allow members to reintroduce substantially the same bill twice in a legislative session.
Denham and Cedillo began a back and forth about the Rules Committee before Sen. Jack Scott, the panel's chair, intervened.
Ultimately, the Republicans were overruled by Scott, as Denham accused the Democrats of "an abuse of power."
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