Cogdill to lead Senate GOP Election of Modesto lawmaker gives Valley grip on Republican legislative leadership By E.J. Schultz Sacramento Bee February 21, 2008 State Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected Modesto's Dave Cogdill as their next leader, giving the San Joaquin Valley a monopoly on GOP power in the Legislature. Cogdill will take over April 15 from Irvine's Dick Ackerman, who is termed out at the end of the year. GOP leadership of the Assembly already is in the hands of Clovis' Mike Villines, who has held the post for more than a year. As members of the minority party, Villines and Cogdill have less power than leading Democrats, but they will take on a key role in the ongoing fight over the budget, which requires some GOP votes. Like Villines, Cogdill is strongly conservative, especially on fiscal matters. He vowed to resist pressure to raise taxes to close the state's growing budget hole. "We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem," Cogdill said at a Capitol news conference. The budget debate is "about figuring out how we can better use the state resources to meet the needs of the people of this state and do it without increasing taxes." The region's hold on the two leadership spots signifies the continuing shift of Republican power to inland California, said Tony Quinn, a Sacramento-based political analyst and former Republican legislative aide. While the GOP has lost influence in coastal regions over the past two decades, "the one place that (Republican representation) is growing is in the Central Valley," said Quinn, co-editor of the California Target Book, which handicaps state political races. Still, Villines and Cogdill are not in a position to steer much special treatment to their districts because Democrats control the Legislature. Villines, for instance, has carried a fairly light legislative load as leader and has focused more on keeping his caucus together. Cogdill's path to power was smoothed last week when another leading candidate, Lancaster's George Runner, withdrew from contention. Runner dropped out after his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, revealed that she is suffering from a rare lung disease. Other contenders included Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula, and Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga. Cogdill, who does not term out until 2014, was able to secure early support from at least eight colleagues. The final vote was unanimous, Ackerman said. Cogdill has a low-key style and a good grasp on the arcane rules that guide legislative procedure. He took on an influential role last year as Senate Republicans dug in their heels and refused to vote for a state budget they believed contained too much spending. The standoff lasted 51 days. Cogdill has already voted against one of the proposals – closing the so-called "yacht tax" loophole that allows buyers of boats, motor homes and airplanes to avoid paying sales taxes if they take possession outside of the state's borders and leave it there for a specified period. The measure passed the Senate but did not draw enough GOP votes in the Assembly. E.J. Schultz - eschultz@fresnobee.com Copyright 1999-2008, California Coastal Coalition Phone: (760) 944-3564