Assemblyman Pedro Nava, just re-elected to his third and last term in the Assembly, has had his sights on a campaign for attorney general in 2010. It seems a given that Jerry Brown will give up that post to run for governor, and Nava has some credentials that would make him a viable candidate: a solid reputation in the Legislature and a background as a deputy district attorney.

However, Nava's calculations might have been based on the hope that San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, one of President-elect Barack Obama's earliest and most committed California supporters, would seek a job in the Obama administration.

Instead, Harris announced last week she will be a candidate for California attorney general if Brown vacates the post. Harris may have some liabilities -- she's from San Francisco, and some in the law enforcement community will never forgive her for not seeking the death penalty in a police-officer killing -- but she also has the formidable strength of being a Friend of Barack.

There are likely only a few candidates around the country who earned enough good will in the Obama campaign to get the benefit of Obama's vast e-mail list of supporters and contributors for a 2010 campaign. But given Harris' role in the campaign, she could very well be one.