Debra Bowen Takes One Step Closer To Entering CA36 Race, Assembly Speaker Perez Endorses Hahn

Late last night, Secretary of State Debra Bowen came one step closer to running for Congress. On Twitter, she invited voters to visit her "exploratory committee" page, where visitors saw this message:

I know the 36th Congressional District well: It includes my home, as well as most of the people I represented during my time in the California State Legislature. So I'm very seriously weighing whether I should run for Congress.

It’s a big decision. I’m thinking carefully about it, talking it over with my family, friends, and supporters, and I certainly want to know what longtime friends and supporters like you think, too.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts with me

So far, the only declared candidate to fill Jane Harman's seat is Janice Hahn, who announced her candidacy within hours of Harman's resignation. Hahn has already amassed a number of high-profile endorsements so far, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Assembly Speaker John Perez.

“Janice Hahn is a local leader who will go to Washington and fight for California, and create even more jobs. In just six days she has built a lot of momentum and is clearly taking the lead, receiving overwhelming support from local elected officials, community leaders and labor groups, and I am happy to be a part of her team,” said Speaker Perez in a press release distributed by Hahn's campaign.

Hahn is reported to have said a primary election would likely happen on April 12, only 10 weeks away. A number of local leaders and bloggers (including myself) have been approached by Hahn for an endorsement, but have so far withheld publicly supporting any candidate, waiting to see who else gets into the race.

To get an idea of what a Hahn/Bowen matchup might look like, it's instructive to look at this map showing how the district voted in 2010 in the Hahn/Newsom race for Lt. Governor.