A good summary of the state of the California Attorney General race. From the Sacramento Bee:

Nine vie for chance at California attorney general post

By digging into his own pocket for $2 million, Chris Kelly catapulted on New Year's Eve from worst to first in fundraising over a crowded Democratic pack fighting to succeed Jerry Brown as the state's top law enforcement officer.

With six candidates running, the AG's Democratic primary on June 8 promises to test what effect a wealthy candidate, a large field, and incumbency as a legislator or a sitting district attorney will have on balloting.

In the battle for the Republican nomination, a state senator is squaring off against the district attorney of vote-rich Los Angeles County and a former U.S. Supreme Court aide.

Money is a key yardstick of candidate viability in the early stages of campaigning for attorney general, a seat expected to be open with Brown's anticipated bid to succeed termed-out Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Three former California governors – Earl Warren, Pat Brown and George Deukmejian – served as attorney general before winning the state's top job.

"It is much more of a steppingstone to governor than any of the other state offices," said Tony Quinn, a former GOP legislative aide and co-editor of California Target Book, a nonpartisan analysis of legislative and congressional races.

As California's chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general engages in criminal and civil trials, coordinates statewide narcotics enforcement, and assists in programs ranging from consumer to environmental protection.

Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, far outpaces all Democrats in cash on hand in the race. The $151,127 annual salary for attorney general never would allow Kelly to recover his huge donation.

But other Democrats also have collected hefty sums: San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris garnered more than $2 million last year, and Assemblymen Alberto Torrico of Newark and Ted Lieu of Torrance and former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo received more than $1 million, according to disclosure records filed this week.

The sixth Democrat, Assemblyman Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara, collected less than $500,000 last year.

The GOP field consists of state Sen. Tom Harman of Huntington Beach and two candidates who entered the race in recent weeks – Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and John Eastman, former dean of Chapman University School of Law and former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Harman, who got a lengthy head start in fundraising, collected $667,479 last year and began 2010 with $313,512 in the bank. Cooley's fledgling campaign has raised about $31,000, while Eastman is just getting started soliciting funds.

Kelly's decision to spend $2 million of his own money signals that he "will not be beholden to anybody but the voters," said Katie Merrill, his campaign consultant.

"I think voters are clamoring for competent people with good ideas and new solutions," Merrill said.

But Brian Brokaw, Harris' campaign manager, said that voters typically gauge candidates by experience and track record, not wealth.

"For the most part, voters are not swayed by candidates who will spend millions of dollars in an attempt to buy an office," he said.

Democrat Kelly and Republican Eastman are the only candidates who can paint themselves as political outsiders who have never held public office, potentially an advantage if voters show up at the polls angry at state government.

Quinn said that experience as a prosecutor often carries weight in an AG race. Harris and Cooley are district attorneys, Delgadillo is a former city attorney, Nava is a former deputy district attorney, and Lieu's resume includes service as a military prosecutor. Torrico, though not a prosecutor, is gaining momentum by garnering support from major public safety unions.

Benefits to Harris and Cooley from their plum ballot designation as the only sitting district attorneys – and from their massive metropolitan bases – could be blunted somewhat by nagging controversy over Harris' failure in 2004 to seek the death penalty for the killer of a police officer and by Cooley's push in 2006 to alter the "three-strikes" law to lessen prospects that a nonviolent third strike could draw a life prison sentence.

Four candidates are legislators – Torrico, Nava, Lieu and Harman – in a time of economic recession, bitter fights over state budgets, and dismal voter approval ratings.

But legislators conceivably could hold an early edge in name recognition and fundraising experience over outsiders. They also are touting laws they crafted or pushed.

Torrico, for example, is leading an effort to raise money for colleges by taxing oil extraction. Lieu led a successful crackdown on high-risk mortgages. Nava passed legislation last year to keep victims' personal information from sexually violent predators. Harman proposed measures in 2008 to speed up death row executions.