Ursula Reed To Run For County Schools Superintendent?

When the local Democratic Party held its St. Patrick's Day dinner Thursday night, rumors, whispers and trial balloons wafted as freely as the scent of corned beef and cabbage.

Of greatest interest to San Leandro residents is that City Councilwoman Ursula Reed used the event to solicit support for a possible run for Alameda County's Superintendent of Schools.

Incumbent Sheila Jordan, who has held this county-wide elected position since 1999, is expected to retire and create a vacancy in 2014.

Attendees told Patch Reed was seeking support for what would be an arduous and expensive race, given that she would have to campaign county wide.

Reed, who won a narrow city council reelection victory over former San Leandro School Board President Morgan Mack-Rose, had not yet responded to a query by publication time.

Other San Leandro attendees included Mayor Stephen Cassidy, Vice Mayor Michael Gregory, Councilwoman Pauline Cutter and Councilman Jim Prola.

One notable moment at the event was when former San Leandro mayor and current State Senator Ellen Corbett introduced newly-elected Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Swalwell beat former Congressman Pete Stark in an upset victory in November.

Corbett, who can't seek reelection in 2014 because of term limits, had lined up support for a congressional run in 2014, by which time Stark would have been expected to retire.

But now instead of seeking an open seat, Corbett will have to face Swalwell, who hopes to preserve his incumbency with imaginative tactics such as videoconferencing himself in to a recent city council meeting in Fremont.

Other tea leaf readers noted that State Board of Equalization member Betty Yee and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer both attended.

They are expected to face each other in the next race for State Controller.