Rep. has focus on district

GLENDALE — With rumors swirling that United States Sen. Diane Feinstein is considering a run for governor of California in 2010, her possible vacancy could pave the way for Rep. Adam Schiff to move from one legislative body to the other.

Schiff, 48, a three-term member of Congress whose eight years in the House of Representatives has been marked by a rise in the number of committees on which he serves, has been mentioned as a possible senatorial candidate on the strength of his fundraising ability and unassailable praise from local residents and staff members in Washington, D.C.

Those close to Schiff believe he is open to the idea of running if the opportunity presented itself and the timing was right; but officially, Schiff said his focus will remain on his district, which includes Burbank and Glendale.

“Californians have no better advocate than Dianne Feinstein,” Schiff said in a statement. “Sen. Feinstein is one of the Senate’s best and it would be sad to see her leave Capitol Hill. The only consolation for her absence from Washington would be her presence in Sacramento. She is a superb senator and she would be a strong, smart and equally effective governor. I continue to focus on my work in Congress serving the people of our community.”

In two years, Schiff would not be bound by another Congressional term and, in 2010, he would be younger than Feinstein — who was 59 — and California’s other U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer — who was 51 — when they were first elected in 1992.

Fueling the speculative fire is the fact that Schiff’s name has been bandied about as a possible successor in Californian Democratic circles by supporters who praised his work ethic on the local and national level.

Larry Nemecek, a member of the Burbank Democratic Club, has worked with Schiff on numerous occasions and jumped at the possibility of a local resident assuming a powerful Senate seat.

“I think he would be a great choice and great for our area and great for California,” he said.

“But the thing he would have to overcome, of course, would be name recognition in the rest of the state. It would be tempting and would depend on the landscape at time.”