Sundheim: Tom Campbell would be strong in 2010 governor’s race

Duf Sundheim, the former chair of the California Republican Party who is heading up a new independent organization designed to recruit top Republican candidates to run for statewide offices, told PolitickerCA.com today that former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell would be a strong 2010 Republican gubernatorial contender.

"There are people who think he would be a strong candidate, and people have expressed that to me," said Sundheim, who declined to answer when asked if he had engaged in private discussions with Cambell about a 2010 campaign.

Campbell served in the United States Congress from 1985-1991 in District 12, before serving in District 15 from 1995-2001. Campbell left Washington after a failed 2000 bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. He currently serves as Dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the country.

Sundheim, who took leadership of California Republicans Aligned for Tomorrow (CRAFT) in April, said the crucial factor in making a Republican gubernatorial candidate viable was "the ability to do the job, to address the important issues they are facing."

He also mentioned Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, former EBay CEO Meg Whitman, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as potential candidates for California's top post.