Thanks in large part to Indian gaming, tribes are enjoying political influence in California's gubernatorial race.  Like everyone else with an interest at stake, tribes are paying attention and playing in the political arena.  No surprise there.

What is a surprise is that the candidates seem to be paying attention to the tribes.  Oh, sure, tribes in California have gotten attention from gubernatorial candidates in the past -- who can forget Arnold Schwarzenegger's infamous "pay their fair share" message about revenue sharing?  But as the Press-Enterprise reports, Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown are sending a different message.  Instead of demands for millions of dollars in "fair share" payments, these candidates are working to visit tribal communities and leaders, and demonstrate understanding of tribal governments and cultures.

There's no doubt that tribes have a key stake in who will be the next governor of California.  Indian gaming is huge business in California, and tribes have been through the wringer of the vagaries of state politics.

Still, as Daniel Tucker of CNIGA commented, tribes are looking for an improvement over past administrations: "We hope this time around, the governor understands more what tribes are about."

We do, too.

Read more: Tribes Key in Backing Gubernatorial Candidates in the Press-Enterprise