Doubt in California

Ever since the election last November, California has bubbled with speculation about the future of Governor Earl Warren. Would he get a federal job? Would he run for another term as governor? Last week Earl Warren stilled one set of bubbles, stirred up several others. Said Warren: "I will not be a candidate for the governorship next year . . ."

Governor Warren did not say what he would be looking forward to next year. Around the summer White House in Denver and the Administration councils in Washington, there was frank talk that the California governor is considered excellent talent for an important federal post. Warren wants a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, probably can have the first one available, may get an interim appointment to some other job.

For Californians, there was a more interesting question: Who will succeed Warren as governor? In public office since 1919 and governor since 1943, Warren has been stubbornly independent, maintained his own personal political organization. He won both the Republican and Democratic nominations for governor in 1946, and in his three elections as governor got more votes (6,081,583) than any other candidate for office ever got in California. Now, for the first time since 1942, political control of California is in doubt.

On the Republican side, glad-handing Lieutenant Governor Goodwin J. ("Goody") Knight, wealthy (gold mining) lawyer who has been fidgeting in the lieutenant governor's chair since 1946, had already announced that he would run for governor whether or not Warren ran. An organization Republican and a far-right conservative, he could not expect to draw Warren's Democratic support.

On the Democratic side, dozens of names popped up, but one stood out: Attorney General Edmund G. ("Pat") Brown, the only Democrat holding a major elective office in California. A pleasant political neutralist of the Warren stripe, Brown had announced that he would not run against the governor, but he was ready to go now that his old friend had stepped out. Said he: "I think the Democrats now will elect a governor next year."

Californians who looked closely at the whole situation speculated on a fascinating possibility. Democrat Pat Brown was far closer to Warren than Republican Goodwin Knight. In his statement, Warren said not a word about electing another Republican as governor, but did dwell at length on the benefits of "periodic change of administration." Could Earl Warren, in his independent heart, be leaning toward Democrat Brown as his successor?

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