Perez, De Leon reach truce over speakership By Anthony York | 12/10/09 12:00 AM PST Email Print
Assemblyman John Perez, D-Los Angeles, is set to become the next choice for California state Assembly's next speaker, after meeting with his top rival, Kevin De Leon, and De Leon supporters in the Capitol Thursday morning.
Perez told reporters Thursday he expected the caucus to vote on a new leader today. It was still unclear whether that leadership change would be formalized in an Assembly floor vote or not.
Perez met with about one dozen Assembly Democrats who were still backing De Leon for the Assembly's top job. De Leon supporters came out of the meeting voicing support for Perez. "John Perez will be our next speaker," said Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, a former De Leon supporter.
De Leon, in limited comments to reporters, characterized this morning's meeting as "productive and positive."
It was still unclear whether Perez would simply be selected by his caucus, or have the vote formalized on the Assembly floor Wednesday. Democrats are set to meet this afternoon to discuss leadership, but Perez's eventual elevation to speaker now seems inevitable. Perez will take over for Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, some time early next year. Bass's office says a timeline for a leadership transition has not been been worked out.
The truce bewteen Perez and his main rival for the job, Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles, the last two candidates to replace Bass came after two rivals in the race for Assembly speaker met this week at a meeting attended by the powers of Los Angeles politics to help heal wounds caused by the speakership battle between two former political allies.
The race between Perez and De Leon for the Assemblys top job caused rifts within the houses Democratic Caucus, and among their surrogates who had been close political allies. A meeting hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Monday night was aimed at healing some of those wounds and bringing the speakership fight to a close.