This morning, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi was sworn in as a member of the US House of Representatives, thereby leaving the post of Lieutenant Governor vacant.  I previously blogged about that here, but most people probably missed since the Mike Duvall scandal buried that post a short time later.

However, since that post, I've heard from multiple sources in Sacramento that there's a buzz going around the Capitol about the Governor appointing former Republican Northern California Assemblyman Stan Statham.  Statham is now a registered decline-to-state and is President of the California Broadcasters Association.  Influential politicians on both sides of the aisle who have the ear of the Governor are apparently lobbying the Governor to pick Statham.

There are several key factors in favor of a Statham pick:

1. The Governor has an excellent relationship with Statham.
2. He'd be a caretaker.  As a registered independent, he is of minimal threat to any of the candidates running for Lieutenant Governor since independents almost never win elections.  Plus, he will be 71 next year; if he were to run for the post, he would be 75 years old when the term expires.
3. He would be easily confirmed, as he is popular with current legislators from both sides of the aisle in both houses.
4. If picked, he would not trigger a series of special elections (unlike picking a legislator).
5. He's articulare and media-savvy as head of the Broadcasters Association, as well as a former television news anchor.
6. He understands the political process, having spent 18 years in the Assembly.

I've not heard other media sources covering this story despite multiple solid sources in the Capitol backing it, so you heard it here first on Red County: Stan Statham is a major contender for appointment to the Lieutenant Governor's post.