California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) announced Thursday that he took out papers to run for re-election in 2014, seeking a fourth term as governor. (He served from 1974-82 as well as his present term.)
Brown's revival -- as well as California's -- is one of the more fascinating political stories. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released last month found the governor with a 58% approval rating in his state. Brown is 75.
“At this stage of my life, I can say--without any hesitation--that I am prepared and excited to tackle [the] challenges and the many others that lay before us. In fact, there is nothing I would rather do. So today, I have taken out the papers to run for re-election,” he said in a statement on his campaign website.
“If you had asked me 40 years ago--when I first ran for governor--what I would be doing in 2014, I could never have guessed. Nor could anyone else. Yet, by the grace of God and habits of perseverance instilled in me by my family, the Dominican nuns and the Jesuits, I am here and ready to go.”