Posted on 01/17/2002 4:59:05 PM PST by Jean S
Popular former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani lent his high-profile support today to Bill Simon, one of the Republican candidates seeking to oust bumbling Democrat Gray Davis as governor of California.
Simon is vying for the GOP nomination against liberal former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and California Secretary of State Bill Jones.
"Of all the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor, Bill Simon is the one who has demonstrated the leadership California needs," Giuliani said at an L.A. news conference.
"Bill Simon and I worked together as federal prosecutors in the Reagan administration," Giuliani said. "I have personally witnessed his leadership abilities and determination in difficult situations. I've also greatly admired his success in business and his dedication to his fellow man."
Simon also announced the endorsement of the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, which helps highlight his conservative and law enforcement credentials.
United Press International said today that Giuliani's "glowing words may give Simon a major boost in the area of name recognition at a time when Davis' popularity may be sputtering."
A new poll by Public Policy Institute of California showed Riordan with 41 percent of the vote to Davis' 37 percent; Jones and Simon trailed by about 10 points, but one in four voters surveyed was undecided. The poll of 2,023 voters found Davis getting low marks for his handling of the economy and education.
"Up until now, my campaign has focused on conservative policy ideas and solutions for the problems facing California," Simon said. "This advertisement will help communicate to voters why I have the right experience at the right time to be governor."
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
I agree! It was on the television news last night and the anchorman said "now that's a good guy to have on your team"
Woooohoo!!! This is exciting. Riordan the RINO might lose after all!
This is GREAT news! I hope Rudy does some TV spots for Simon. Rudy still has a lot of popularity from his 9/11 experience, and that will only help Simon with some voters who may not have paid attention up to this point.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.