Fiorina Expected To Announce US Senate Plans

JULIET WILLIAMS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — After months of speculation but few public appearances, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina was expected to announce her plans Wednesday for the U.S. Senate seat held by liberal stalwart Barbara Boxer of California.

Fiorina's campaign said she was to make "a major announcement" during an appearance at a business in the Orange County city of Garden Grove Wednesday morning.

Her potential entry into the race could present Boxer with her most formidable re-election challenge, but Fiornia first would have to survive a Republican primary against a conservative state lawmaker who has worked feverishly over the past year to court GOP voters.

The 55-year-old former Silicon Valley executive served as economic adviser to John McCain's failed presidential bid last year, a position that elevated her national profile. Before that, she had a public falling out with HP board members, who fired her in 2005 after she pushed through a merger with Compaq Computer Corp. in a deal that caused job losses and reduced her company's value. HP has since rebounded, but opinions differ over how much credit for that Fiorina deserves.