SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week nominated his own pick to serve as vice chairman of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine board, thus creating what will be a small but interesting election.

The governor initially nominated Dr. Claire Pomeroy for the post, but subsequently withdrew her name with the University of California, Davis, vice chancellor and dean determined that she would not have enough time to serve on the board that the voters created in 2004 when they approved Prop. 71.

Schwarzenegger then nominated Duane Roth, already part of the institute's Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee.

"As I'm sure all of you already know, Duane is a hard-working CIRM board member who has long been an advocate for stem cell research and active member of the life sciences community. He is thoroughly familiar with CIRM and his elevation to the Vice Chair position would promise a seamless transition," the governor wrote in his nomination letter. "In addition, Mr. Roth has asked me to convey that, should he be elected Vice Chair and should the board at any time determine that compensation may be payable to the Vice Chair, he will not accept any such compensation."

According to many observers, that last note about Roth agreeing to not take a salary became a key factor in Schwarzenegger's decision.

Roth will now go up against Art Torres, a well known former state lawmaker and current chair of the California Democratic Party.

Torres, who plans to step down as party chair this spring, told PolitickerCA.com this week that because he needs to continue to earn a living, he would accept part or all of the $180,000 to $332,000 annual pay that the institute currently lists as its salary range for the vice chair post.

And while Roth has governor's support, Torres packs his own stellar list of endorsers, including Treasurer Bill Lockyer, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Controller John Chiang, state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), state Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

Lockyer, Garamendi and Chiang, all Democrats, are the three other state constitutional officers besides Schwarzenegger who are empowered to make nominations to the institute's board.

The institute was created after California voters approved Prop. 71 in 2004. Along with creation of the institute, voters also gave the new agency $3 billion to stimulate public and private embryonic stem cell research.

The agency's 29-member Independent Citizen's Oversight Committee is scheduled to vote on Torres and whoever the governor nominates sometime in January.

Elsewhere in PolitickerCA.com:

Torres hopes life after politics involves putting a human face on state stem cell research