Brown stumps for Ted Lieu -- and timing is everything

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Gov. Jerry Brown was back on the campaign trail Friday in hopes of easing the path for his budget proposal in the Legislature.

Brown appeared at Democrat Ted Lieu’s Torrance campaign office to urge South Bay voters to send the former assemblyman to the state Senate in Tuesday’s special election.

Lieu’s eventual election is all but assured in this safe Democratic district. But for Brown, timing is everything. If Lieu receives more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, he can be sworn into the Senate next week -- in plenty of time to vote on Brown’s proposal to ask voters to agree to billions of dollars in taxes to help balance the budget.

If Lieu does not hit the 50% threshold, he will head for an April runoff.

Lieu said he supports the governor’s plan to place an extension of income, car and sales taxes before voters in a special statewide election in June. But putting that plan on the ballot requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. With Lieu’s support and the backing of all other Senate Democrats, Brown would need just two Republican votes in the Senate.

Brown said he made the trip to Torrance at the request of Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), who was also on hand Friday. The governor said he was still hoping for more than just the bare minimum Republican support for a ballot measure.

“I want Republican votes,” he said. “I need Republican votes -- not just to get it through the Legislature but to make it credible so it will pass.”

The campaign stop capped a two-day swing through the Los Angeles area for Brown, who was making his first public trip outside the capital since being sworn in as governor last month.

-- Anthony York in Torrance