Political Candidates

State Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown dropped the fiction that he was seeking reelection and filed papers Tuesday to explore a run for governor, a job that he first won in 1974 and has for months been fighting hard, if quietly, to recapture. Brown's move was born of necessity: Contributions to candidates for attorney general are capped at $6,500 per election for individual donors, but gubernatorial contestants can accept up to $25,900. "If he chooses to run, it will make him more competitive against a deep-pocketed Republican opponent," said Steven Glazer, a senior advisor to Brown, a Democrat.

We instinctively grant latitude to advertisers, whether they're peddling politicians, dog food or miracle paring knives. But we do expect that an ad will not flat-out lie. Sadly, our expectations often fall short when ambitious politicians are pitching themselves. Neither major party has a lock on truthfulness. I've written about false advertising by Republicans and Democrats alike for years. Now, in the very first series of radio ads in the 2010 gubernatorial race, comes blatant baloney from billionaire political novice Meg Whitman, the former chief executive of EBay who is running for the Republican nomination.

Mark Ridley-Thomas' election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last fall already has spawned three special elections for legislative seats. And there will be a fourth if none of the six candidates on the Sept. 1 ballot for the 51st Assembly District can muster a majority. The field consists of five Democrats -- two members of city councils, a water board member who formerly served on a local school board, a 20-year-old making his first bid for elected office and a perennial candidate.

Five o'clock on a workday and you're about to pull into traffic: Let's hope you're not in a hurry, especially if you're on the Westside of Los Angeles. Times editors asked the six candidates in the Los Angeles City Council's 5th District race about their ideas for easing traffic problems in that part of town. Here are excerpts from their answers to this question: What concrete proposals will you pursue to reduce traffic congestion in the 5th Council District? Adeena N.

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel filed papers Thursday to raise money to run for city controller in March 2009. Incumbent Controller Laura Chick will be forced from office by term limits that year. Greuel won reelection to the council in March and, if she wins in 2009, would leave her current post halfway through her term. "I'm running for city controller because I think I have a strong record as a fiscal watchdog, and this is just an extension of what my efforts have been in my district," Greuel said.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) planned to announce today that he's considering a presidential run in 2008, a Republican official said. Hunter is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, a position he would lose if Democrats take control of the House after the Nov. 7 election. A spokesman said Hunter would hold a news conference in San Diego this morning. Hunter, a 13-term incumbent, is a strong conservative who's focused on supporting the military and on stopping illegal immigration.

Here's the bad news for Virginia Republicans, who once ruled the commonwealth politically: There are no limits whatsoever on how much a person or union, say, can give to any one candidate. Here's the good news for Virginia Republicans: Terry McAuliffe, the ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the political powerhouse, is probably running for governor there. Now, if Terry the Tiger's candidacy is good news for the GOP, that tells you how bad things are.

MSNBC host Chris Matthews put an end to speculation that he was considering a bid for the U.S. Senate, telling his producers Wednesday that he had decided not to jump into the 2010 race in his home state of Pennsylvania. In a routine production meeting before his daily show "Hardball," Matthews informed the staff that he was not going to pursue the seat, network spokesman Jeremy Gaines said. The cable host, who is negotiating a new contract at MSNBC, declined to comment.

Provincial council candidate Fareeq Khazaali moves through the crowds of shoppers on Mutanabi Street with the confidence and ease of a veteran politician, shaking hands and smiling, as his children, wearing homemade campaign T-shirts, distribute leaflets. When he's not pressing the flesh, he's sending frequent text messages ("Greetings. Please elect your candidate Fareeq Khazaali."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and two of his closest political allies have outpaced their opponents in fundraising for the March 3 primary election, city campaign finance records show. Villaraigosa has raised more than $2.7 million for his reelection campaign. The closest of his nine challengers, business trial lawyer Walter Moore, collected $127,901 in 2008.