Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo formally announced his candidacy for attorney general on the steps of the Capitol this morning, and he pointedly spent much time talking about who he is not.

"I am not a former governor, I am not the son of a governor, I've never run for president," said Delgadillo, who instead stressed his working-class upbringing on the hard streets of East Los Angeles. "Life in my neighborhood was a struggle... Some of my friends didn't make it."

The contrast was clear: Delgadillo, 45, is the new California. Jerry Brown, 70, is the old California.

The conventional wisdom has been that Brown would be the closest thing to a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination for attorney general next June. But Delgadillo has a lot going for him: a Los Angeles base, rugged good looks, Latino heritage, and rock-solid credentials as a prosecutor and head of a large public law office.

Don't count him out.