Former HP CEO Fiorina announces bid for US Senate

Nov 4 10:39 AM US/Eastern

By JULIET WILLIAMS
Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina says she'll run for the U.S. Senate seat held by California incumbent Barbara Boxer.
Fiorina ended months of speculation Wednesday with an announcement in an opinion piece she wrote for the Orange County Register. She's scheduled to make a formal announcement later in the day.

Fiorina must win the Republican primary before she can challenge Boxer.

Fiorina says her priorities would be creating jobs, cutting government spending and expanding access to health care—but not through a national health care system.

The 55-year-old Fiorina was economic adviser to John McCain's failed presidential bid last year. She received a $21 million severance package when Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board fired her in 2005. That money would make her a formidable challenger to Boxer.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—After months of speculation but few public appearances, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina was expected to announce her plans Wednesday for the U.S. Senate seat held by liberal stalwart Barbara Boxer of California.

Fiorina's campaign said she was to make "a major announcement" during an appearance at a business in the Orange County city of Garden Grove Wednesday morning.

Her potential entry into the race could present Boxer with her most formidable re-election challenge, but Fiornia first would have to survive a Republican primary against a conservative state lawmaker who has worked feverishly over the past year to court GOP voters.

The 55-year-old former Silicon Valley executive served as economic adviser to John McCain's failed presidential bid last year, a position that elevated her national profile. Before that, she had a public falling out with HP board members, who fired her in 2005 after she pushed through a merger with Compaq Computer Corp. in a deal that caused job losses and reduced her company's value. HP has since rebounded, but opinions differ over how much credit for that Fiorina deserves.

On the way out, she received a $21 million severance package—a cash cushion that has made Boxer's team nervous.


more