Meg Whitman is signing off from directorships at Procter & Gamble, Dreamworks Animation SKG and eBay leading to speculation that she’ll run for governor of California in 2010.
The marquee-name female, ex-CEO of eBay may be opposed in by another marquee-name, ex-CEO on the Republican side of the aisle. Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett-Packard, is said to be considering a run at a Senate seat or governor’s chair in the Golden State.
Either could succeed another marquee-name politician, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the muscle-man actor whose term expires in January 2011.
Whatever star quality either woman can bring to the scene, she’ll have a hell of a lot to do. California is in a real mess. Its budget deficit is expected to expand to $42 billion by 2010. Overheated housing markets in Southern California and in the Bay Area are among the worst hit in the sub prime real estate mortgage mess.
The state represents 13 percent of U.S. GDP and the potential spending power of its 38 million residents is 50 percent more than that of Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas combined. But key sectors of the state’s economy are hard hit by the deepening recession.
Either Carly or Meg will also have plenty of competition should they go for the gov’s slot. California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Congressman Tom Campbell are considering a run on the Republican side. Democratic possibilities include San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. John Garamendi. And, there’s the perennial flower power guy, Jerry Brown.
Both Meg and Carly bring C-Suite and board experience galore. They’ve been wasted in recent months making endless appearances at boring corporate management conferences. A real political dogfight would be an exciting change of pace.
