Carly Fiorina announces her GOP candidacy for U.S. Senate

Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the California Republican primary, arguing that her business experience made her the only viable candidate to challenge Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer.

"If it isn't obvious to you by now, let me make it official today: I am a candidate to serve you as your U.S. senator,” Fiorina said, speaking to a small gathering of supporters in the Garden Grove warehouse of Earth Friendly Products, which makes green home products like phosphate-free detergent.

Fiorina, whose hair was shorn close to her scalp after a nine-month battle with breast cancer, said she expected the race to get ugly. "I have to say, after chemotherapy, Barbara Boxer just isn't that scary," she said. "She has always taken the low road to higher office, so get ready. But it's OK, I can take a punch and I can throw a punch."

The Republican candidate called for smaller government, decreased spending and increased transparency. She pledged not to raise taxes and decried the "rabid partisanship" in Washington. She excoriated Boxer's legislative record and said the Democrat's positions have killed jobs in California.

Boxer has the edge in Democratic-leaning California, but Fiorina's entry means the race will be among the most closely watched in the nation. The charismatic former business leader could be Boxer's greatest challenge since her election to the Senate in 1992. But that's if Fiorina emerges the victor in what is likely to be a bruising Republican primary.

She announced her candidacy in Orange County, home turf of the conservative assemblyman who is her only challenger in the primary. The battle between Fiorina and Chuck Devore (R-Irvine) reflects a greater ideological debate that is dividing Republicans across the nation, and led to the loss of a Republican House seat in upstate New York on Tuesday.

Devore, 47, is a long-term conservative who is well-known in state GOP circles, but has little name recognition across the state and may not have the financial wherewithal to fully compete against Fiorina. Fiorina, 54, has no elective experience but is viewed by some as the strategic choice who would have a better chance taking on Boxer because of her more moderate views and her deep pockets. Fiorina has vast personal wealth -- her HP severance alone exceeded $21 million after six rocky years as chief executive.

But upheaval during her tenure at the company, a spotty voting record and her new arrival to politics make some wary of her. Democrats seized on these issues to paint Fiorina as an inept businesswoman who got rich off the backs of workers, and as out of touch with ordinary people.

"The last thing Californians need in a U.S. senator is a failed CEO who was fired by her last employer after taking $100 million for herself," said John Burton, chairman of the California Democratic Party. Fiorina today said critics are mischaracterizing her resume, and that her work at HP laid the foundation for the company's current success.

She said her business background and lack of political experience make her a D.C. outsider and only "viable" Republican challenger. She also has repeatedly apologized for not voting but also explained it was because she felt unconnected to politicians. "Shame on me," she said.

--Seema Mehta in Garden Grove

Photo: Carly Fiorina, center, takes a tour with Earth Friendly Products Vice President Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks at a town hall meeting at Earth Friendly Products in Garden Grove. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[jj]

Great - if she gets in, she'll spin off the Southern California region into another state called something like Los Angelent and set about systematically destroying most of the economic base of what's left.

[indy voter]

She's a real good candidate to ensure Dems control the Senate. She was kicked out of HP after royally screwing up the company and then screwed up her role as a McCain advisor. Republican candidate = unqualified at any level!

[Karen]

" her HP severance alone exceeded $21 million after six rocky years as chief executive." So, she is a perfect example of a person who was hugely rewarded for mediocre work at best. Unfortunately, not the best candidacy choice in a time where overly rewarded executives are viewed with derision by the majority of the public. Wasn't she also one of those business people with a history of being 'too busy' too vote?

If 'conservatives' think that a businessperson is the best choice for leadership in California, at least try to pick an effective one.

[Bob]

GREAT!!

Another GOP candidate that's an advocate for sending American jobs overseas...

Bob

[CMR]

Bad reporting. $21 million may sound like a lot but it is pennies for a state-wide campaign for Governor. Understanding the underlying dynamics of this race requires that one understand that Fiorina can't fully self-fund. Her wealth allows her to build/retain campaign staff, poll, and do some campaigning but both she AND Devore have to raise money. That is what will be interesting - can she? Reporting on that would help LA Times readers make sense of what they will see in the coming months.

[Sean]

After nearly sending HP to disaster with her ill-conceived acquisition with Compaq, Ms Fiorina is somehow turning her disastrous "leadership" into a success story worthy of Senatorial ambitions.

America, wake up. After electing "W" twice on the basis of his folksy manner despite his disastrous resume, please don't vote this person in. I know you may not think much of the Senate composition now but when one has clear indication of incompetence or misguided sense of direction, let's not shoot ourselves in the foot again.

[sophia]

wasn't she ousted from HP for total incompetance?

[Robert G]

Of course she laid the groundwork for HP's current success. HP had nowhere to go but UP after her.

[John Dingler]

Carly admits to lacking experience, which makes her inexperienced to hold office. Also, she freely admits to irresponsibly taking herself out of the loop of caring for America by refusing to vote in our participatory democracy, while she instead enthusiastically participated in enriching herself at HP just before it fired her for lack of effective performance in a business environment.

Carly likely expects to enrich herself even more if she wins the senatorial seat and, once in, would likely attempt right away to transfer her underperforming experience at HP to underperform in Washington DC as a representative of California. It's a combination that the US dos not need, nor deserve, after eight years of her party, the GOP, enriching the rich elites like herself while weakening the economy for the majority of hard-working Americans under the incompetent and destructive leadership of Vice President Dick Cheney, Comedian Rush Limbaugh, and President George W. Bush.

For these significant reasons, it's imprudent and unwise for anyone but the elite rich to support her candidacy. Since I am not a member of the elite rich, I will instead support Boxer, a very good legislator who cares for America more than your typical senator, and one who is on the correct and patriotic side of most issues. Can't ask for any better experience and commitment to a better America that what Boxer provides.

[David]

People who don't bother to vote have no business running for elected office. What else is Ms. Fiorina waiting to diss?

[Willomena Dunkin]

Will the republican party of california be paying for her hair dresser to travel with her . As she expected at HP.

[rich laramore]

Got run out of HP, "helped" McCain campaign, and now this....This should turn out good.

[Chris Wardell]

So Carly wants to be a Senator? Maybe she can make this country fail the way she almost made HP fail!

I think this would be a HORRIBLE decision on the part of Californians to elect this incompetent person to public service. Not that there aren't plenty of incompetent public servants, but we really do not need another.

[TK Major]

As a businessman in the tech sector and a longtime fan of the old Hewlett-Packard, I find myself laughing -- rather scornfully -- at the mileage that Fiorina has tried to extract from her troubled tenure as CEO of HP.

I hope it will escape no one's attention that Fiorina presided over a degradation of HP's products, lowered profits, misguided acquisitions, and a pervasive malaise at that company that resulted in her being, essentially, fired by the Board of Directors.

[Ken P.]

Barbara Boxer is one of the worst senators in US history. Even if Carly can rough her up and bit and make the Democrats spend lots of money to defend her, it will be worth it. Californians need to realize it's people like Boxer that caused the state to be in the mess it's in today.

[TT]

Could there possibly been a less suitable candidate for this office?

[tommyf]

While Fiorina may very well be a Washington outsider, her views and actions show a history of antagonizing the worker and making company policy that clearly is very much in line with the Corporatacry entrenched in business and politics today. In fact, she is the antithesis of this CEO club. She started the demoralization of workers at HP that is only accelerating today with Mark Hurd at the helm. They are repungnant modern day robber barons - Steal from the poor and keep for themselves. Don't forget, she once said, paraphrasing, "Americans do not have a God given right to jobs in this country". For someone who was one of the biggest contributors in outsourcing HP jobs overseas, her comments in the article refering to creating jobs in California would be laughable if it wasn't so devastating to thousands of workers and their families who were put out of work by this woman. Really, would you vote for her?

[Jerry]

Can anybody remember anything that Barbara Boxer did for California that was a noble and noteworthy piece of legislation?

[BigFerret]

Seeing McCain bring her up on stage as an adviser during the convention was priceless, only surpassed by his pick of Palin.

[Will Never Vote for the GOP again.]

The GOP cannot be serious if they support her. Yes she has name recognition, but not in a good way. Anyone familiar with HP and the fact that it's value tanked to less than half what it was worth before she came on as CEO knows the deal. Let's not mention how many jobs the state lost to foreign countries through HP's "downsizing" after the Compaq merger--sending jobs overseas-- and the epic battle between her and the Hewlett family (who knew what the Compaq merger would do the the company). Can't the GOP find a successful business person who will keep jobs in this state?

Just Say No to Carly! She was bad for HP, and bad for the state!

[Logos]

How can the fiscally incompetent state of California continue to elect Democrats? Any Republican would be better than who they have now.

[J. Katz]

This is a joke right? She actually believes she is what California needs? She was a failure at HP. She pocketed the $$$ and ran. She doesn't vote and blames an unconnected feeling? What an ego she must have. She's the next Hindenburg in CA.

[Logos]

How much longer can the fiscally incompetent state of California continue to elect Democrats? Any Republican would be better. I'm sure that many of the tax-paying achievers of your state (those that haven't left yet) would vote for someone like David Duke if he could just stem the tide of taxational-theft taking place there.

[Bill Couture]

Typical Replubican. Send as many jobs as possible overseas, increase bankruptcies, kill as many of the sick as possible, and move up after you destroy your business.

[Steve]

You have got to be kidding. She bombed at every job she's ever had. And now she is "qualified" to be a U.S. Senator? She is the biggest fraud in American public life.