Davis' Allies Weigh Backup in Bustamante
SACRAMENTO — Labor unions, environmental groups and senior Democratic leaders have grown increasingly concerned about Gov. Gray Davis' chances of keeping his job and are intensifying discussions over whether to endorse Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as a backup plan for keeping the governor's office in friendly hands.
For weeks, Davis and labor leaders have urged Democrats to focus their efforts on persuading people to vote against the recall and to ignore the second part of the ballot, which will feature 135 candidates for governor, including Bustamante.
If Davis gets more than 50% of the vote on the recall, which is a yes-or-no vote, then the second part of the ballot -- the election for a successor -- has no effect. If he loses on the recall, then whoever gets the most votes among the potential successors would become governor as soon as the election results are certified.
"Right now, we're at the stage of encouraging our members to vote no on the recall," said Bill Allayaud, political director for the Sierra Club, which has 200,000 members in California. But, he added, "the Sierra Club is going to consider endorsing other candidates. It's hedging your bets, really. If this recall is going to go through, the Sierra Club has an opinion on who would be best for the environment."
Similarly, the board of directors of the California Teachers Assn. has scheduled a special meeting next week to discuss recall strategy, including the question of whether to endorse an alternative to Davis, said Barbara Kerr, president of the union. A special committee will present various options to the board.
"I don't know what we're going to do," Kerr said.
And the California Labor Federation, the umbrella group for AFL-CIO unions in California, will discuss the possibility of endorsing Bustamante at its convention in Manhattan Beach on Aug. 26. Davis has asked unions to contribute $10 million to his campaign against the recall, and the federation and member unions have pledged financial and logistical assistance.
In a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon, Art Pulaski, leader of the California Labor Federation, and other key union leaders sought to dispel perceptions of eroding support for Davis.
"All California unions are together in the message that says we are vigorously opposing this recall," Pulaski said. "That is the sole position that we have in relation to the entire recall question, including the question of alternate candidates. We are 'no' on recall and have no support for any alternate candidates."
