February 12, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

SACRAMENTO – Meg Whitman today announced that Representatives Wally Herger (R-2nd District) and Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-25th District), have endorsed her candidacy for Governor.  Whitman, former President and CEO of eBay, earlier this week announced the formation of a 2010 Gubernatorial Exploratory Committee. 

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Representatives Herger and McKeon,” Whitman said.  “I share their commitment to the people of California and look forward to working with them to help restore our economy, create jobs and build a new California.”  

Representative Herger has served the people of California’s 2nd Congressional District, for more than 20 years. He was recently selected as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health on the House Ways & Means Committee,  which oversees the Medicare program and provisions of the tax code pertaining to health care, as well as regulations affecting health insurance plans offered by large employers.

"I'm pleased to endorse Meg Whitman for Governor of California,” Herger  said. “She has the knowledge, experience and ability to inspire change that will bring faith and accountability back to state government.  Instead of chronic deficits, Meg will fight to curb spending and protect taxpayers.” 

Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, a Southern California native, was elected to Congress in 1992, where he has become a leader on issues ranging from education, cutting the national debt and strengthening our military.  Prior to his election to Congress, McKeon, a successful businessman, was an active member of the Santa Clarita Valley community where he served as a member of the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees and later as a member of Santa Clarita’s first City Council and Mayor.

 “Meg Whitman’s professional experience and leadership abilities are unmatched, and she is exceptionally well qualified to lead California through turbulent economic times and into a new era of economic prosperity, job creation and innovation,” McKeon said.
On February 9th, Whitman announced the formation of her Exploratory Committee.  Former California Governor Pete Wilson serves as her Campaign Chairman joining Exploratory Committee Co-Chairs House Chief Deputy Republican Whip Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, State Senator Tony Strickland, Assembly Republican Whip Nathan Fletcher and former State Assemblywoman Sharon Runner.  She has also been endorsed by California State Senator Mark Wyland.

Whitman, 52, retired from eBay in March 2008 following a decade with the company.  Under her leadership, eBay grew from a startup with 30 employees, $4.7 million in revenues, and 300,000 users to a global ecommerce leader with operations in 38 countries, more than 15,000 employees, almost $8 billion in revenues, and more than 300 million registered users.  There are more than 12 million eBay users in California alone.