Speier Has Hired Alex Tourk for Possible CA-12 Run

by ortcutt [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

(This is more of a quick hit than a diary, but I thought this news was just too juicy to ignore.)

It looks like Jackie Speier is pretty seriously considering running in CA-12 against Tom Lantos.

Demo derby: Former state Sen. Jackie Speier has just signed Mayor Gavin Newsom's onetime campaign manager Alex Tourk to help launch her still-unofficial campaign to unseat Peninsula Congressman Tom Lantos in next June's Democratic primary.

"She hasn't declared yet, but she asked me to join her team - and I'm honored to be part of it," Tourk said Friday. "And I'm confident when people are reminded of her record and talk to her one-on-one in house meetings, there will be no doubt her time is now."

(Matier and Ross)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...

Tourk was Gavin Newsom's campaign manager and deputy chief of staff ... until it was revealed that Newsom was sleeping with Tourk's wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk.  I don't know much about Tourk but he has a reputation for being a skilled political consultant so this is another sign that Speier is getting closer to running for CA-12.