SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Former California Republican congressman Tom Campbell is set to drop his state gubernatorial candidacy for a U.S. Senate bid, sources say.
Citing unnamed campaign sources, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury-News reported Wednesday that Campbell will make the announcement Thursday.
The newspaper said Campbell's run for the Senate seat now held by Democrat Barbara Boxer could shake up the state's politics, enabling former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to compete head-to-head for the GOP mantle to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Meanwhile, the Mercury-News said Campbell, considered a GOP moderate, would face former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who is also perceived as a moderate. Also in the mix is conservative state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of Irvine, Calif.
