His first try, an inept, one-month campaign in August 1995 based on his opposition to illegal immigration, ended in disaster, partly because his core issue fell flat nationally and partly because of the firestorm of criticism that arose when, in running, he broke a promise he made during his gubernatorial re-election campaign. Moreover, his campaign staff was severely weakened with factionalism and infighting, pitting his long-time California loyalists against the Washington people Wilson hired later.

But that was two years ago, and Wilson hopes that the fickle electorate has a short memory.

As governor, Wilson had the lowest rating of any California chief executive since polls started tracking the issue 40 yeas before. But just months later, in November 1994, Wilson captured a decisive victory over challenger Kathleen Brown in what even his harshest critics acknowledged was a brilliant campaign.

Now Wilson wants to duplicate that state victory on the national level. Thus far, he is better positioned than the first time around, and the national press already is taking notice. And instead of immigration, Wilson is talking tax cuts and educational quality -- two issues that capture attention throughout the country. Unlike his earlier presidential bid, the current political landscape has no dominant GOP frontrunner like Bob Dole. What GOP hopeful is out there capturing attention? Dan Quayle?

Wilson's press office, always efficient, is already in a heightened campaign mode, aggressively courting the major media. He is all but certain to take his bill signing ceremonies for major legislation, such as welfare reform, to media-rich Los Angeles instead of the more provincial Sacramento. Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest media market outside New York, assures the governor instant national recognition and he is sure to make the most of it.

The governor already has received notice in three influential publications. The Economist of London painted a glowing picture of the governor's fiscal policies, and The New York Times recently ran a flattering profile of the governor. Last week, Washington Post columnist David Broder ran a highly complimentary piece on Wilson's fiscal policies, depicting him as a courageous executive willing to cut costs in order to balance the budget, something Broder suggested would be welcome in Washington. That kind of coverage that gets little attention in California, but for a politician pondering a nationwide race, such coverage is gold.

Unlike 1995, Wilson is not dogged by criticism that he would be turning the state over to Democrat Gray Davis, who is the former chief of staff to former Gov. Jerry Brown. Davis, who has built a campaign war chest of more than $3.5 million, is running for governor himself next year. And Wilson is "termed out," that is, constitutionally precluded from seeking a third term as governor, even though he said at a news conference last week that he would love to run for governor again.

Finally, any California governor is, by definition, a presidential contender. Wilson, a former big-city mayor and U.S. senator, has the resume to be president. But does he have the votes?

Who's Who in the California Legislature, our in-depth biographical version of the Pocket Directory, will soon be available, via our Web site, for download in Adobe PDF format. By downloading your own PDF copy of the Who's Who, you may then print the pages of the legislators you need, or print your own copy of the book. More information on the Who's Who is available at http://www.capenq.com/brochure/whoswho.html.

*** 1998 Directories ***

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