McClintock eyes Doolittle seat
By Peter Hecht - phecht@sacbee.com
Published 3:54 pm PST Tuesday, February 19, 2008
State Sen. Tom McClintock said today that he is "seriously" considering running for the 4th Congressional District seat of Rep. John Doolittle, who is resigning at the end of his term.
"Obviously, it is a matter I take very seriously," said McClintock, confirming he is looking at entering the race. He added: "I'll have more to say about this in the future. But at the moment, I'm simply listening to people in the district."
In an interview at the state Capitol, McClintock said he is uncertain when he will decide, but said it won't be this week. The Republican primary field already includes former Rep. Doug Ose, former state lawmaker Rico Oller and Air Force reservist Eric Egland.
McClintock, a longtime lawmaker from Thousand Oaks and a former gubernatorial candidate, is one of the state's best known conservatives. A recent poll showed him with strong support in the district.
Ose campaign consultant Richard Temple said the former three-term representative from the Sacramento region's 3rd Congressional District has no intention of stepping aside if McClintock enters the field. Ose has already put out a television advertisement and campaign mailers.
"He's still in and he's still moving and that hasn't changed," Temple said.