The race for California governor is thinning again.
Former Silicon Valley Congressman Tom Campell is expected to drop out of the governor's race and instead go after a U.S. Senate seat. It would be his third attempt to land a Senate seat.
Campbell and his office are not confirming anything yet but but speculation is growing about whether he will drop out of the race to run California and instead go after Barbara Boxer's seat in the Senate. Campbell is expected to make announcements Thursday in L.A. and San Jose about his next move.
"There are a lot of rumors out there," said Jane Barnett, an L.A. County Republican Party chairwoman. "I think he's a great guy, and I wish him well. He's got some decisions to make."
Campbell will face off against former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina for Boxer's Senate seat.
Campbell's departure from the race for the Republican gubernatorial primary would benefit former eBay chief Meg Whitman, as she could put all her millions into fighting head to head with state insurance commissioner Steve Poizner for the nomination. The GOP nominee will face state Attorney Jerry Brown, the only Democrat expected to be on the tiket -- even though he's not officiallly a declared candidate just yet.
Campbell has been unable to translate his lengthy resume into a selling point for deep-pocketed campaign donors.
He reported $317,381 cash on hand as of June 30, the latest figures available. By comparison, Whitman had $19 million and Poizner had $3.7 million in cash. The most recent donations will be reported publicly at the end of the month.
Recent polls show California voters unsure about the GOP candidates. A Public Policy Institute of California poll in December found 44 percent of likely GOP voters had no opinion on the race.
