Fiorina to seek GOP nomination for California Senate seat

The 55-year-old former chairwoman and CEO of the Palo Alto, Calif., computer maker declared her candidacy in an opinion piece in today's Orange County Register. In it, she stated that "our most pressing problems today are too few jobs for Americans and too much spending in Washington."

A breast cancer survivor, Fiorina also argued in her essay for a less costly approach to health care reform: "Rather than remaking the entire national health care system at the cost of higher taxes and exploding deficits, we should build on what works, such as expanding access to community clinics that will give those most in need appropriate care at a reasonable price." She also advocated going after frivolous lawsuits and allowing consumers to buy insurance across state lines.

Fiorina also apologized for her detachment from politics over the years. "For many years I felt disconnected from the decisions made in Washington and, to be honest, really didn't think my vote mattered because I didn't have a direct line of sight from my vote to a result."

She pledged to focus on fiscal accountability and economic recovery if elected to the Senate.

The former HP CEO established a campaign account in August but has not amassed much of a war chest yet. She may not need to, as she can tap into a $21 million cash cushion she received when the HP board fired her as CEO in 2005. The dismissal came in the wake of a controversial purchase of Compaq Computer Corp. that she pushed through. The purchase vaulted HP, then known mainly for its printers and scientific equipment, into the ranks of technology giants like IBM, but at the cost of layoffs and a sharp drop in HP's stock value.

Already, Boxer is taking her candidacy seriously. She used the threat of a Fiorina candidacy to raise an additional $1.6 million for her campaign war chest, which now stands at $6.2 million.

But first Fiorina must make it past another Republican seeking the party nod, state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore. A poll conducted in October, prior to her announcement, showed she had lost the edge she enjoyed over DeVore, but most GOP voters in California remain undecided.

Fiorina joins a recent parade of Silicon Valley executives who are declaring or considering runs for office. Up until now, most high-tech business leaders have stayed away from electoral politics except as campaign donors, but this year has also seen announcements from former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and entrepreneur-turned-California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner that they both plan to seek the Republican nomination for governor of California.

Boxer currently holds a sizable lead over both Fiorina and DeVore in the opinion polls.

Written by Sandy Smith