This is the first in a series of Playbook conversations with California’s new class of state lawmakers. THE BUZZ: MR. SMITH COMES HOME FROM WASHINGTON — State Sen. Jerry McNerney is the rare kind of Capitol rookie — one with nearly two decades of legislating under his belt. Two years ago, after eight terms in Congress, McNerney, as he recounted at his swearing-in reception this month, “hung up his spurs [and] got a real job.” He landed a cushy perch as a senior policy adviser at Pillsbury, an international law firm. But, to steal a phrase from Michael Corleone, just when he thought he was out, Susan Eggman pulled him back in. The outgoing Stockton-area senator made an eleventh-hour plea for McNerney to run, in hopes of blocking then-Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua’s abrupt bid for her seat. There are plenty of ambitious lawmakers who see the statehouse as their stepping stone to serving in Washington. It’s more unusual for folks to move down the political hierarchy from a federal to state-level post. McNerney is among the small group of Californians who have jumped from Washington to Sacramento or even municipal offices. Former Rep. Laura Richardson joins McNerney as a freshman state senator, marking her second stint in Sacramento. Former Rep. Jackie Speier came out of retirement to successfully run this year for San Mateo County supervisor. Sometimes the local gigs have more heft than those in D.C., such as when Mayor Karen Bass hopped from the House to Los Angeles City Hall, or Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn left a Cabinet post and Congress, respectively, to run for powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors seats. McNerney’s decision to seek a job that, as he acknowledges, has “less prestige” than his old one is a reflection of how much serving in Congress had become a slog. McNerney, who was first elected in 2006, said the rise of the Tea Party marked a sea change in how he viewed the job. Earlier in his tenure, he’d hold town halls with his constituents that were always well-attended and respectful. But in the Tea Party era, the public-facing parts of the job became far more unpleasant. “You had to really have some police protection. You had to have a way to control the mob so you could speak and not be over-shouted … People would stand up in a town hall and call me names,” he told Playbook. The path to policy-making heft was long and thankless, as well. The best way to exert influence on legislation in Congress is to chair a committee, but even after 12 years on the powerful House Energy and Commerce panel, McNerney still didn’t have the seniority to chair a subcommittee. When he was drawn into a more competitive district after redistricting in 2021, he opted against a no-room-for-error reelection campaign and decided to retire. Leaving elected office was a bit of a shock, he said. Suddenly, there was no coterie of staff to coordinate his schedules on both coasts or to watch out for his best interests. “Also, there’s clearly a bit of an ego thing going on” as an elected official, he said. “When you walk in a room, people notice you. Often they cheer or stand up, or people want to have their pictures with you. And that’s rewarding to a degree.” What drew McNerney to forsake his private sector salary and rejoin public life, aside from the entreaties from Eggman, was a second-chance at the policy-making that was largely out of reach in D.C. He was influenced by former colleagues like Speier and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, who told him their time in the Legislature was the highlight of their long political careers. “He saw that he could actually get things done in Sacramento,” his wife, Mary McNerney, told Playbook. “It has been such a fight in Washington, it really has. To work so hard and you come home and go ‘ugh’ because all the things you’re working for don’t move forward.” McNerney is carrying over some elements of his congressional tenure, including key staffers and his annual BBQ rib cook-off. (Ever the politician, McNerney himself doesn’t serve as a judge for the contest, lest he alienate any constituents). But he recognizes that Sacramento will be a totally different beast than Washington. He’ll be one of 40 instead of one of 435. His party dominates the state Capitol, and policy is made here at a clip that far surpasses the Hill. McNerney is especially keen to work on artificial intelligence and fusion energy policy — two issues where California’s actions can have national or even international implications — and unlike in the cumbersome committee process in Washington, he has more agency in Sacramento to advance measures he cares about. “I’m the master of my own legislation. That’s rewarding,” he said. And McNerney said he’d be happy to mentor colleagues who are eyeing the traditional Sacramento-to-Washington pipeline. “I’m looking forward to being the sort of wise older statesman in the crowd,” he said. GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@politico.com and bjones@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
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