San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is going to run for lieutenant governor, and that’s enough to push Shafter State Sen. Dean Florez out of the race.
Florez will drop out of the race and support him, according to a news release sent out Friday morning. In it, Florez calls Newsom a “bright star in a State needing a new point of reference.”
“While it hurts to undo so much hard work, I’m not embittered about this predicament," Florez wrote in a letter announcing his decision to supporters. "In the same spirit that you helped me, I am going to help other candidates win and together we will continue to fight for a better California.”
Florez did not immediately announce what his political future might hold or if he even wanted to run for another office.
The announcement leaves the Democratic primary battle to Newsom and Los Angeles City Council member Janice Hahn.
Florez was an early candidate for the state’s No. 2 job, and raised more than a million dollars for the campaign.
Florez was first elected to the State Assembly in 1998, serving two terms before being elected to the State Senate in 2002. He is term-limited out of the Legislature at the end of this year.
Florez's Letter To Supporters
Dear Friends and Supporters:
I wanted to share with you, first hand, some news regarding my campaign for California's Lieutenant Governor.
First, let me express my deepest gratitude for your support, words of encouragement and friendship throughout this very challenging effort.
As an African proverb says, “when the music changes, so must the dance.” Well, the music has changed, and sadly so has the dance.
As of today, I am concluding my campaign for Lieutenant Governor and my name will not appear on the ballot this June.
While it hurts to undo so much hard work, I'm not embittered about this predicament. I am pragmatic enough to recognize that politics is unpredictable.
As much as I want to be Lieutenant Governor, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's entry into this contest has dramatically altered the dynamics of the race. I've studied the numbers, looked at the possibilities, and considered all the relevant polling information which indicates that he commands a formidable lead that would be hard to surmount.
For all its faults, I still love my party, the campaign trail, the folks who work day in and day out to help us get elected and the many people I met during this astonishing effort. Make no mistake, I want to see our party succeed in the upcoming election.
I am now going to turn my efforts to finishing my last year in the Senate, take my resources and put them toward helping win back the governorship, and look for opportunities to help other candidates qualified and committed to moving California in a positive direction this fall.
Just know that in the same spirit that you helped me, I am going to help other candidates win and together we will continue to fight for a better California.
That's why I also hope that you will consider joining me in supporting statewide change candidates like Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and others who represent a fresh generation of Californians ready to take bold action to turn this great state around.
Again, from the deepest part of my heart, I truly cherish the friendship and generosity you have shown me throughout this campaign effort. I am blessed with genuinely remarkable friends.
Dean Florez
