From Politico:

For a time, California state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier seemed to be on a glide path to the House, a favorite to succeed Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher when she officially steps down to take a State Department position.

He wasted little time securing the support of Tauscher, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), a top lieutenant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who represents Tauscher’s adjoining district, and the Contra Costa County Central Labor Council.

But the calculus changed when Democratic Lt. Gov. John Garamendi unexpectedly parachuted into the contest for the comfortably Democratic Contra Costa County-based seat late last month. Now, even DeSaulnier’s supporters concede that Garamendi, who dropped his bid in the 2010 governor’s race to join the House special election, is the new front-runner.

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