San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is shaping the inner circle of his campaign for governor, naming veteran Democratic strategist Garry South as a top adviser.
Newsom, a Democrat who announced he was exploring a run for governor in 2010 last month, is also tapping veterans of the Obama and Clinton presidential campaigns for polling and day-to-day campaign operations. His longtime political adviser, San Francisco-based consultant Eric Jaye, will serve as campaign director.
But the key new addition is South, who served as chief strategist for Gov. Gray Davis' two successful campaigns in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, South was the top political adviser for state Controller Steve Westly's run for governor.
(The hiring of South is no shocker. Earlier this month a blogger caught Newsom and South meeting at a Malibu Starbucks.)
South brings a bare-knuckled approach to politics. His relentless attacks on Democratic primary opponent Phil Angelides in 2006 earned him the moniker "the king of mean" from Angelides.
It was a badge he wore with pride.
South's joining of the Newsom campaign is likely to have a domino effect on the would-be candidacy of Westly, who is a multimillionaire who could use his riches to run again in 2010.
Back in June, South told Capitol Alert that "if you don't have enough money to self-finance you simply can't compete for governor of this state." Newsom is not wealthy enough to self-finance.
Some (including this writer) saw those comments as an indication that South might sign up for a second Westly bid.
Apparently not.
Westly will have been out of political office for four years by 2010. But as a key California fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, Westly may be hoping to parlay that early support into a position in a potential Obama administration.
Newsom's other new hires include Nick Clemons as "day-to-day campaign manager" and Joel Benenson as his chief pollster.
Clemons served as the the state director for Sen. Hillary Clinton's primary campaigns in the key states of New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Benenson is a top pollster for the Obama campaign.
The race to secure political strategists is always part of the early jockeying of gubernatorial campaigns.
Other consultant intrigue worth watching is which campaign Ace Smith, another Clinton strategist, signs on to advise.
Smith has served as a political strategist to two would-be 2010 Democratic candidates: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Photo credit: Steve Yeater, Sacramento Bee, 2002
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