Huffington Opts Out of ’98 Races

Mike Huffington, who waged a costly unsuccessful race for the U.S. Senate in 1994, disclosed Friday that he has changed his mind and will not run for either governor of California or the U.S. Senate in 1998.

Huffington, 48, a former Republican congressman from Santa Barbara, said he wants to spend more time with his family and pursue feature film production projects.

“Not that I’m not interested in politics,” Huffington said in a phone interview. “I enjoy it. But I have to put my family first this time.”

Huffington returned to the political circuit last summer, making the rounds of political clubs and supporting GOP legislative candidates, with the idea of seeking statewide office again in 1998.

At one point, he said, “I am fairly confident I will be running for governor.” But he also said he was keeping all his options open.

Republican Gov. Pete Wilson will leave office after 1998, when his second term expires.

Huffington’s actions and comments last year prompted Republican state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren to gear up his gubernatorial efforts far sooner than he had planned. Lungren has been assumed by most in the California Republican Party to be the likely GOP nominee to succeed Wilson.

However, if Huffington had decided to challenge Lungren in the primary, and was willing to commit millions of his own dollars to the campaign, it could have been a bitter and divisive battle.

And it might have been one that was not worth winning, Huffington said.

“I believe frankly that it’s going to be a very, very tough race for whoever is the Republican candidate. Republicans will have held the governorship for 16 years,” he said.

“If we don’t have a primary fight, it certainly should solidify whoever is the nominee,” Huffington added. “I told [Lungren] that I would be out there two years from now trying to get him elected.”

Huffington said he telephoned Lungren on Friday afternoon to advise him of his decision. Lungren’s office confirmed the call.

Another option for Huffington would have been to challenge Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat whose term expires in 1998 and is expected to seek reelection.

But Huffington said that if he runs for office again, it will not be until after 2000.

“I will still be relatively young then,” Huffington said with a chuckle.

Huffington said he discussed his political future with his wife, Arianna, this past weekend.

“I have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, and it is apparent to me how much I enjoy spending more time with them when they are young,” he said. “We had a vote of 3 to 1.”

Huffington said he is working on a film about a family and dolphins. He also hopes to do some biographical films about important historic figures. But he said it is impossible to pursue the film projects and a political career at the same time.