Whatever else he has done for the last 3 1/2 years, state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell heads into his reelection bid with a reputation as the leading proponent and defender of the high school exit exam.

When the state Supreme Court reinstated the exam last week after a lower court tossed it out, O'Connell was ecstatic -- and a bit defiant. "I will continue to fight to make sure every student who graduates in California has the skills necessary to succeed," he said.

O'Connell was elected to the nonpartisan post in 2002 after two decades as a Democratic assemblyman and senator. In making student accountability his hallmark, he has managed to win support, or at least discourage attacks, from Republicans and conservatives.