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Bruce McPherson said Tuesday he is dropping his GOP party affiliation and listing no preference, joining a growing bloc of California voters who've renounced party identification... (snip) An abortion rights supporter who's willing to discuss new taxes, McPherson was known as a moderate during his 11 years in the Legislature. During the years, he has endorsed local Democrats such as Fred Keeley, Henry Mello and Sam Farr. (snip) McPherson said he did not consider registering as a Democrat. "No, because I think the far left of the Democrats is in the same situation as the far right of the Republican...

SACRAMENTO - California's top election official predicted Friday that 55 percent of registered voters will cast ballots in Tuesday's election, fewer than in any general election in state history except one. How a relatively low voter turnout might affect the outcome of races for statewide offices such as governor and lieutenant governor, as well as controversial proposals to impose higher taxes on oil companies and tobacco, is anyone's guess. Conventional wisdom holds that a lower turnout favors Republicans, whose voters are more reliable about showing up on Election Day. That could translate into a big night for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger...

If she weren't running for secretary of state, Debra Bowen might consider Santa Cruz native Bruce McPherson the best fit for the job. As state senators, both traveled to Iceland to study geothermal energy; when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed McPherson to fill the secretary of state post last year, Bowen was part of the unanimous vote that confirmed him. "I consider him a friend," said Bowen, D-Redondo Beach. "When the governor nominated Bruce, I told him that I thought he was the second best person for the job." This November, Bowen hopes voters will agree with her. Bowen and McPherson,...

NEWS RELEASE CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE Bruce McPherson FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, October 25, 2006 California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson and Major Latino Organizations Send Official Election Letter Refuting Orange County Intimidation LetterLetter sent to all 14,000 recipients of previous letter SACRAMENTO, CA - Secretary of State Bruce McPherson announced today that his office and Latino organizations sent an official election information letter to all of the recipients of the voter intimidation letter sent to 14,000 voters last week. The official election information letter, in English and Spanish, was mailed by the Secretary of State’s Office in collaboration with...

THE TWO major-party candidates for California secretary of state could not be more different in style or in philosophy about the role of the office. Incumbent Bruce McPherson, a Republican, is an engaging, low-key centrist with great faith in modern electronic voting systems and great concern about the potential for shenanigans at polling places. Sen. Debra Bowen, a Democrat who brings a lawyerly edge and high-tech guile in her approach to public policy, is highly skeptical about the current safeguards on electronic voting systems. One trait these two veteran politicians share is a high level of competence. It's unfortunate they...

SACRAMENTO – Normally ho-hum, the campaign for secretary of state could be seen as a referendum on whether Californians trust new, federally mandated electronic voting systems and how they feel about requiring identification at the polls. The Nov. 7 election also is the first chance voters have to judge appointed incumbent Bruce McPherson, who was forced to spend most of his early tenure cleaning up a political and fiscal quagmire left by his predecessor, Kevin Shelley, a Democrat who resigned under pressure. PROFILES Bruce McPherson RepublicanAge: 62 Residence: Santa Cruz Background: Appointed secretary of state in March 2005 to fill...

San Francisco -- A 21-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for murdering the son of California's secretary of state during a street robbery, the San Francisco District Attorney's office said. Clifton Terrell Jr. could have faced the death penalty for shooting the 27-year-old son of Secretary of State Bruce McPherson in November 2001 because murder committed during the course of a robbery is a special circumstance under California law. But former District Attorney Terence Hallinan, an opponent of capital punishment, elected not to seek a death sentence for Terrell, who had turned...

(02-11) 10:01 PST SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to name a longtime former Santa Cruz legislator, Bruce McPherson, as California's 29th secretary of state Friday, sources told the San Jose Mercury News. McPherson, 61, who left the state Senate last year after 11 years in the Legislature, would replace Kevin Shelley, who resigned last Friday while facing numerous investigations into his conduct in office. Shelley's resignation takes effect March 1. The governor's office scheduled an 11 a.m. announcement on the appointment.

Simon Rally Reports 11/02/02 - Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Jose, Modesto, Fresno Feel free to post your comments on today's rallies for our California statewide candidates... SAN JOSE Freepers NormsRevenge, Mediaqueen, and yours truly, along with many more, welcomed the GOP statewide ticket to the San Jose area headed by (hopefully) our next governor, Bill Simon. Many camps were at the San Jose Hyatt north of downtown for their candidates as well as many local races such as Linda Rae Hermann (to unseat Congresscritter Mike Honda) and Douglas McNea (to unseat Congresscritter Zoe Lofgren). Signs, stickers, and buttons were in...