There may be other choices. State Assemblyman Alan Nakashini and former state Assemblyman Dean Andal (who also served on the Board of Equalization) are also eyeing candidacies, and I believe they are more conservative than Houston.
However, Richard Pombo blew it and has no business running again.
I tend to cringe when I see "pragmatic" associated with Republican, as that screams "RINO." Let the pragmatics run in ultrarodent districts. Whatever Pombo's shortcomings, I still wouldn't mind seeing him make a comeback.
It's a tough call. The district, as you know, is so unnaturally drawn. Soccer moms and office-park dads in the Bay Area, exurbanites and semi-rural people in the Central Valley, no overlap in the politicians they're familiar with. On balance, it's probably better to go with a Valley candidate who can really clean up in that part of the district.