Gov. Jerry Brown has $22 million in the bank and a 21-point lead in the polls, but as he seeks a historic fourth term, he’s conducting one of the most unusual re-election campaigns ever witnessed by state voters – one in which he hasn’t starred in a single TV or radio spot, campaign mailer, or Web video.
With less than three weeks to go before Californians can cast ballots, Brown’s campaign spokesman said Tuesday that the governor doesn’t even plan to be the star of his own appeals to voters this year. Instead, he’ll focus on urging them to pass a pair of bond measures.
Propositions 1 and 2 – a $7 billion water-infrastructure bond and mandatory rainy-day budget reserve, respectively – are “a critical part of his agenda to further stabilize California’s economy,” spokesman Dan Newman said. “They’re central to his governing philosophy – putting money aside in good times to avoid harsh cuts during downturns, and storing water for when it’s needed most.”
Brown is expected to take that message to voters in person and possibly on the airwaves.
His confident, no-frills strategy is a far cry from raucous gubernatorial contests of the recent past that have been awash in money and mudslinging.