NAME -- Jerry Brown

PARTY -- Democrat

AGE-BIRTH DATE -- 68; April 7, 1938, in San Francisco.

EDUCATION -- Bachelor's degree in classics from UC Berkeley, 1961; graduated Yale law school, 1964.

EXPERIENCE -- Clerked for California Supreme Court Justice Mathew Tobriner and later worked as a lawyer; elected to Los Angeles Community College board of trustees in 1969; served as California secretary of state from 1971-75 and as governor from 1975-1983; ran for president in 1976 and 1980 and waged an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid in 1982. Studied Zen Buddhism in Japan and worked with Mother Teresa in India before returning to California in 1989, where he served as chairman of the California Democratic Party. Ran a third time for president in 1992; moved to Oakland; worked as a radio talk show host, founded a think-tank called We The People; elected Oakland mayor 1998-present.

WEB SITE: www.jerrybrown.org

FAMILY -- Wife, Anne Gust.

QUOTE -- "I'm in the nitty gritty of enforcing the laws of California. I know what is required to back up police chiefs and cops, and that's why the vast majority of them are supporting me."

NAME -- Chuck Poochigian

PARTY -- Republican

AGE-BIRTH DATE -- 57; May 31, 1949, in Fresno

EDUCATION -- Bachelor's in business administration from California State University, Fresno; law degree from Santa Clara University, 1975.

EXPERIENCE -- Practiced law from 1976 to 1988. Elected to the California State Assembly in 1994 and re-elected two years later. Elected to state Senate in 1998, a position he now holds. Poochigian was lead author of workers' compensation reform legislation that capped disability payments and required that injured workers choose doctors authorized by employers and insurance companies.

WEB SITE -- www.chuck4ag.com

FAMILY -- Wife, Debbie, three children, one grandchild.

QUOTE -- "California needs a 'Top Cop' who will fight crime head-on, not someone in search of another headline. I am the only candidate in the race for attorney general with an unwavering record in support of effective policies that reduce violent crime, deter criminals and keep dangerous felons behind bars," from a May 2006 piece posted on his Web site.