Attorney General’s Race Ending Where it Began

Monday, November 4, 2006

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Attorney General’s Race Ending Where it Began

By a MetNews Staff Writer

The race for state attorney general is ending much like it began, with Democrat Jerry Brown maintaining his double digit lead over Republican Chuck Poochigian, and each candidate trying to paint the other as an extremist.

“Jerry Brown is not fit to be attorney general based on his erratic behavior,”

Poochigian campaign strategist Ken Kachigian told the MetNews Friday. Brown spokesperson Ace Smith said voters have a “very clear choice” between “someone with experience who is moderate . . . versus someone who is an extremist.”

Kachigian said Poochigian’s campaign will focus on Brown’s record as mayor of Oakland, and its high crime rate, and what he labeled Brown’s inconsistent positions on the issues, in the final days before the election. Brown will focus on his experience and support of stem cell research, reasonable gun-control laws and environmental protection, Smith said.

Kachigian admitted “it’s been a very challenging race.” He noted that Poochigian started out with only six percent name recognition when the race began, and now its up to 50 percent. But Brown “started out with 86 percent,” he said.

Kachigian noted that Brown has been partially successful in overcoming his record. He blamed the media for doing a poor job at exposing inconsistencies in Brown’s positions the Poochigian camp has been pointing out.

He said Brown early in the campaign supported same-sex marriage, but recently said he would only go as far as civil unions, and has changed his position over the years on abortion.

Kachigian also said Poochigian supports the suit filed by state Republican leaders challenging Brown’s eligibility to be attorney general.

“If he’s elected, there will be a suit to remove him from office,” he vowed.

Smith said their campaign polls show Brown has a 20 percent lead, a margin slightly higher than that in recent independent polls. Kachigian declined to discuss his campaign’s internal polling.

Brown plans to spend election night at a victory party with Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Sen. Diane Feinstein in San Francisco, his spokesman said.