New in Capitol Weekly

I have two stories in today's Capitol Weekly. The first is a look at the CTA and their endorsement process, called Going to interview with CTA? Be sure to look into the camera. Late last year, as dozens of Assembly candidates ushered themselves from one interest group interview to the next, almost all of them inevitably arrived at the door of the California Teachers Association (CTA), one of the most powerful and well-heeled political players in Sacramento. There, they faced something no other interest group in the state used: a video camera. The 335,000-member teachers union is the only major organization to videotape candidates, for the Assembly up to the governor's office, as they interview for the group's endorsement. The CTA has been videotaping candidates for more than a decade. Read the rest here. Also, I look at the Assembly races Richie Ross, the Democratic political consultant, is running this year in Ross lining up ducks for 2006 elections. Fabian Nuñez may be the longest tenured Speaker of the Assembly since Willie Brown, but more than two years before his term limits-mandated departure some say a quiet campaign has already begun to succeed him. As usual, veteran Democratic consultant Richie Ross is in the thick of it. Ross, who once served as chief of staff to Willie Brown, the legendary wheeler-dealer who outmaneuvered opponents to rule the Legislature's lower house for nearly 15 years, is running more candidates in open Democratic primaries this June than any other political consultant. Of the 25 races in which incumbent Assembly Democrats are either termed out, or opting to run for higher office, Ross has clients in eleven contests--double the next closest Democratic consulting firm. Read the rest of the story here. But more interesting for insiders, perhaps, is the list of Ross clients running. They are: For the Assembly Cathleen Galgiani AD 17 Mary Hayashi AD 18 Richard Alarcon AD 39 Kelly Hayes-Raitt AD 41 Scott Wildman AD 43 Christina Chavez AD 45 Andre Quintero AD 49 Tony Mendoza AD 56 Edward Hernandez AD 57 Jeremy Baca AD 62 Jose Solario AD 69 Incumbents Ira Ruskin AD 21 Sally Lieber AD 22 For the Senate Darrell Steinberg SD 6 Rudy Bermudez SD 30 Joe Baca SD 32 Tom Umberg SD 34 Sitting Senators (that will likely still be in office next session) Carole Migden SD 3 Mike Machado SD 5 Dean Florez SD 16 For Statewide Office Deborah Ortiz Secretary of state Joe Dunn State controller Cruz Bustamante Insurance commissioner