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Gavin Newsom is trying to delay his swearing-in as lieutenant governor in hopes of allowing the new, slightly more conservative board of supervisors to pick his successor. Under San Francisco County rules, the board will elect the person who will serve out the final year of Newsom’s current term. An election for a new mayor will be held in November 2011. Newsom’s success or failure holds all sorts of implications for Sacramento politics. Not only is Sen. Leland Yee running for the job when Newsom’s term expires next year, but two state lawmakers may be in the mix depending on Newsom’s swearing-in date. The only politician who seems to have the votes among the current board is Tom Ammiano, the former supe who ran twice for the mayor’s job. Ammiano has said he’s not interested in the post. For now. But we also hear that Mark Leno is inquiring about an interim appointment if the new board is allowed to decide. Could that mean a Leno vs. Yee showdown for the full term come November? With the end of the campaign, San Francisco may once again be the home of the best political intrigue in the state.

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