GOP Senate candidate Tom Campbell insisted Wednesday that gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman played no role in his decision to leave the governor's race, responding to a Huffington Post column that said Whitman's campaign successfully persuaded him to switch contests.
"I received no request from the Whitman campaign ever," Campbell said Wednesday. "I received no approach from the Whitman campaign ever. I made the decision on my own and I reached out to a large number of my friends to ask for their help, including, among them, several strong supporters of Meg."
"The direction was always from me, and the decision was not influenced or suggested by Whitman supporters," he added.
The Huffington Post's William Bradley wrote that "Whitman operatives" in December asked associates of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to persuade Campbell to leave the governor's race in December, using a softer touch than strategist Mike Murphy employed in an infamous e-mail to Steve Poizner. Campbell previously served as Schwarzenegger's finance director.
Bradley wrote that Bob White, a prominent Capitol lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Pete Wilson, was among those who persuaded Campbell to leave the governor's race. Bradley noted that upon switching races, Campbell quickly signed up Whitman fundraiser Kristin Hueter, as well as Schwarzenegger friend and former Secretary of State George Shultz as honorary campaign chairman.
GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina's campaign tried to stoke the issue further Wednesday afternoon, issuing a statement with questions such as, "Was there some sort of quid pro quo in this situation?" Poizner also issued a statement accusing Whitman of a "hostile takeover of California's election process."
Campbell said Wednesday that he contacted White -- "my friend for many years" -- to seek his advice. But Campbell said he had already made up his mind to leave the governor's race before that conversation.
White also released a statement through Campbell's campaign: "I had no conversations with the Whitman campaign about getting Tom Campbell out of the governor's race. I had a very brief conversation with Tom Campbell -- which he initiated -- and told him I thought he'd make a great senator. Tom Campbell is his own man and I couldn't have altered his decision if I wanted to."
As for Hueter's quick move to help Campbell?
"I tried to get this individual as my fundraiser in the governor's race and approached her first a long time ago," Campbell said. "She made her decision to work for Meg instead. When I made the decision to go to the Senate, I called her up again."
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