A Day at the Races 4, March 2 — With Five Days Left, Who’s In, Who’s On, Who’s Missing?

Five more weekdays.  For all races but the ones where eligible incumbents choose not to run for re-election, the deadline for filing, paying for ballot statements, and the rest is Friday, March 7, at 5:00 p.m.  (That’s a “you’d better be inside the door” deadline — but you’d also better have all of your papers with you.)  At that point, we’ll know how all state and county races will be set up — though mayoral, city council, school, water, and special district elections will start their filing process in late July.

Where do we stand?  At this point, candidates to consider fall into four categories: (1) still rumored to be filing, (2) paid their filing fee and taken out papers, (3) already on the ballot, and (4) none of the above — but could still swoop in at the last moment and upend the table.  (For example: Lou Correa.)  Let’s take a look at all the races.

We’re now past the “signatures in lieu” process (which I’ve called “pre-filing”): if one didn’t turn in signatures in lieu by Feb. 20, one now pays full freight.  Various hurdles remain before one gets onto the ballot — but if one has actually filed at the point but doesn’t complete the process, one just wasted a bunch of money.

I’m going to make this post a full review of all Orange County election contests in the June primary — including checking the books in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and (thanks to one stinking Board of Equalization race) Riverside and Imperial Counties as well.  I’m also going to throw in what speculations and rumors I’ve heard up until now — including those I’ve heard muttering to myself.  So, with perfunctory and half-sincere apologies to those races that get short shrift, here we go!

[Update: OC Political has provided reports on the California Republican Assembly’s endorsements, which appear below in red.]

DPOC Candidate Training Photo March 2014

People named in this article who attended the Democratic Party’s all-day Candidate Training Academy this past Saturday and will be on the June ballot included Rudy Gaona (4th Supe), Jim Moreno (2nd Supe), Joel Block (AD-72), Anila Ali (AD-74), Dr. Suzanne Savary (CA-48), and Carolyn Inman (Irvine School Board special election.)

Repeating my boilerplate from the first installment in this year’s series:

Remember — or learn, if you didn’t know — that now there are basically four (or so) kinds of races to consider.  These are: (1) Presidential election.  Exempt from Top-Two primary.  Partisan ballots.  Not taking place in 2014.  Ignore for now. (2) Federal/State Legislative and State Executive.  These are subject to the “top two primary.”  That means that no one necessarily gets to run unopposed in November anymore.  If only one person is listed, and so long as there’s as little as one vote cast for someone else in a qualified write-in campaign, then that campaign goes to November runoff.  99.999% of the vote is no longer enough! (3) County Supervisor and Executive Offices.  This works like the Top Two Primary, but with a twist.  If any candidate gets over 50% of  the vote, they win the position outright and there is no November runoff.  In races where only one or two people are running, this is pretty much a given (barring a massively successful write-in campaign.)  I think that OC Superior Court Judge races work the same way.  (Only two such races will occur this year, and I’m sure that someone who knows and cares more will explain this.) (4) Local officials and special boards.  City Council, school board, water district, and similar elections don’t take place until November, so don’t worry too much about them yet (although they do play into people’s current strategies!) So, right now, we’re just looking at categories #2 and #3.  After June, we’ll be looking at #2 and #4, as well as runoffs for #3.

Governor of California

The Governor’s race attracted pre-filing in Orange County by Robert OrnelasLuis J. Rodriguez, Joe Leicht, Robert Newman, Tim Donnelly, Cindy Sheehan, Andrew Blount, and Neel Kashkari. Leicht is the only one of these on the ballot in OC, which is how we know that he is a Golf Course Consultant.  You’ll notice that the name Jerry Brown is missing — but he doesn’t have to file here; he filed in his home county of Alameda.  In fact, to the best of my knowledge, only Blount and Kashkari had to file in OC; the others are just — well, I’m not really sure.  Showing the flag, I suppose.  Kashkari and Donnelly are considered the only contenders with any shot of making the runoff against Brown — although Blount might be able to do so if Donnelly completely self-destructed before June 3.  Rodriguez and Sheehan are well-known third party candidates; I’m not sure about the others.  Most don’t need to Blount to go through the OC Registrar to finish their filing and get onto the ballot — but Blount and Kashkari do.  So we may have yet another scoop upcoming.  [UPDATE, 3/3: Tiny scoop — Blount is officially in.]  [3/5: Kashkari still hasn’t filed.  Does he know that he has to file?]

Other State Executive Officer Positions

Laura Wells (for Controller) and Ellen H. Brown (for Treasurer) represent the Green Party.  I’m not sure about Zachary Collins (for Lieutenant Governor), David Scott Curtis (for Secretary of State), and Lydia Gutierrez (for Superintendent of Public Instruction.)  Orange County’s Orly Taitz has rejected my advice to run for AD-73 and has filed for Attorney General.  Taitz is the only one on the ballot; but to my knowledge she is the only one whose journey there had to go through Orange County.

State Board of Equalization, 4th District

There’s two big pieces of news in this race for one of the four seats on the Board with the State Controller that sets and enforces tax policy.  The 4th District includes Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, and all but the northern strip of San Bernardino County.  On Friday, OC’s Van Tran has filed to run against OC’s Diane Harkey — while co-favorite Mark Wyland of Escondido in San Diego County had taken out papers — but has dropped out of the race, for reasons explained here by Jon Fleischman.  Area Man John F. Kelly, a Brick Mortar Merchant, is the only one from OC actually on the ballot so far — which is how we know his profession.  In San Bernardino, Nader Shahatit, a Democrat, has filed.  In Riverside, Republican Lewis Da Silva has filed.  No one from San Diego aside from Wyland had taken out papers.  Lou Correa has a committee open for this seat — and with Wyland out of the race and Harkey ethically vulnerable, Lou probably has good reason to give it a try.  (Seriously — is he really going to retire?  What’ll it be, if not — Anaheim City Council?  School Board?  Rancho Santiago?)  [Update, 3/4: Harkey has paid her fees.  Tran still hasn’t.]  [3/5: Now Tran has.]

38th Congressional District

Within OC, this district includes only the city of La Palma.  No one from Orange County has pre-filed here.  Incumbent Democrat Linda Sanchez will face Republicans Benjamin Campos and Gus Summers.  We’ll keep a closed eye on this one.

39th Congressional District

Only Ed Royce has paid his filing fee for this position — LaRouchie, Oath Keeper, and OJB commenter Robert Lauten and chair of the Democrats of North Orange County club  Pete Anderson have not done so, though Pete assures me that he will.  Royce could afford to leave his fees on the ground, if he wanted to, which would mean that my pet theory that Royce may be switching to CA-45 and leaving this seat open for Bob Huff or Gary Miller is still viable.  (It remains viable until Royce “puts a ring on it” and takes his oath upon filing his Declaration of Candidacy.)  If Royce let 5 p.m. Friday pass without filing for CA-39, or if he files instead for CA-45, the seat is re-opened for five days, the new deadline being March 12.  If that happens, then John Moorlach (if he has already taken an oath to run in CA-45 — or even, as I hypothesize, in CA-74 — is stuck in that other race and could not run for Congress up here.  Neither could Sharon Quirk-Silva or Shawn Nelson, should they wish, presuming that each has signed up for their own office.  The California Democratic Party convention is this weekend, though, so if Royce did pull that sort of last-minute skullduggery it seems likely that some Democrat from out of the area — such as State Senator Ed Hernandez — has a free shot this year and would be chosen to enter the fray.  But the safe money is still on a runoff between Royce vs. Anderson.  [Update, 3/3: ROYCE PUT ON A RING ON IT!  SORRY, GARY MILLER!]  [3/6 Anderson’s in.  No signs of life from Lauten.]

45th Congressional District

State Senator Mimi Walters is the only one who has committed to this race — despite her having flouting the same residency requirements that got Inglewood State Senator Rod Wright convicted of felony perjury.  (If this makes you think that we need a better District Attorney — I hear you!)  One step below that — meaning that they’ve paid their filing fee but not yet signed on the dotted line to run here, are John Moorlach and Greg Raths.  Democrat Drew Leavens is also expected to file.  Ben McKenna and Noburu Isugawa haven’t done anything formal other than take out signatures in lieu — which is free.  [Note: OC Political reports that Chen has received the California Republican Assembly issued no endorsement, although Walters edged Moorlach by 1 on the first ballot, tied with him on the second, and beat him 14-9 — not the 2/3 required — on the third.  So the coast is still clear for Royce to switch to this one!]  [Update, 3/5: Al Salehi has paid a filing fee.]  [3/6: Raths and Leavens are in.  Because Campbell is eligible for reelection, this will of course go to overtime.]

46th Congressional District

Incumbent Loretta Sanchez is on the ballot, as is Businessman/Author/Consultant Ehab Atalla.  Adam Nick has paid his filing fee.  John Cullum and Carlos Vasquez pre-filed — but so far that’s all they’ve done.  [Update, 3/4: Vasquez has paid his fees.] [3/6: Cullem has paid his fees.  Only Loretta and Atalla are on the ballot, though.]

47th Congressional District

No candidates from OC at this point — or likely at all.  Incumbent Alan Lowenthal has one challenger on the ballot, a libertarian named Andy Whallon, but is expected to also face another challenge from fellow Long Beacher Gary DeLong, whom he soundly thumped in 2012.  This rematch will sort itself out soon; anyone else who runs is probably chaff.

48th Congressional District

Three candidates are already on the freaking ballot in CA-48: alleged apartment-trashing incumbent Dana Rohrabacher, Congressional Community Liaison Robert Banuelos, and attorney David Burns.  The two biggest threats have not yet paid their filing fees: Republican Costa Mesa Councilmember Wendy Leece and party-endorsed Democrat Dr. Suzanne Joyce Savary.  Savary seems ready to run; Vern just interviewed Leece, so I’m guessing that the same is true for her.  [Update, 3/6: Savary is in.  Leece still out.]

49th Congressional District

Rep.  Darrell Issa’s re-election will be challenged by Democrat David Peiser.  Noburo Isugawa pre-filed.  Drew Leavens, who was going to run here, switched to CA-45.  [Update, 3/4: Isagawa finally settled on this race and is on the ballot.]

32nd State Senate District

No Orange Countian — and only Buena Park is within this district — is running to succeed scandal-encrusted and thankfully termed-out (and possibly sooner-departing) Senator Ron Calderon.  In LA County, Mario Guerra is the sole Republican running against four Democrats: former Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, former Assemblywoman Sally HaviceCarlos Arvizu, and Irella Perez.  (By the way: up in the 20th district, our own Matt Munson is running.)

34th State Senate District

No Democrat ended up running against former Assemblyman Jose Solorio for one likely spot in the runoff.   He and Republican Supervisor Janet Nguyen have paid their filing fees; a third viable candidate, Former County School Board member, and 2012 Assembly candidate Long Pham, has not.   Nguyen will be the favorite here — especially now that our intrepid DA has cleared her of conflict of interest-related wrongdoing regarding Cal-Optima (and you really ought to read that article just for the commentary from former Congressman Mel Levine) — unless perhaps an adverse FBI report comes through in time for Pham.   Along with AD-65, this is considered to be one of the most significant battles for control over the state legislature over the next two years, as Democrats try to maintain an on-again, off-again, who’s-running-f0r-higher-office-today (or, in the upper house, who’s being hauled away) two-house supermajority.  [Update, 3/5: Hadn’t noticed that Jose Solorio hadn’t turned in his declaration of candidacy; now he has.  Know who hasn’t?  Everyone else — including Janet Nguyen.] [3/6: Nguyen is in.]

36th State Senate District

This district doesn’t really seem to have an incumbent right now — despite the persistent rumors that 37th District State Senator Mimi Walters really does still live in Laguna Niguel — as the old 36th district served by Joel Anderson’s district does not include the OC portion of the redrawn district.  From OC, Supervisor Pat Bates has pulled papers, as has Ken Lopez, aka (when serving in the State Senate) Ken Maddox aka Ken Maddox-Lopez or Ken Lopez-Maddox, I can’t recall, when serving on the Capistrano School Board.  He might have a chance at a unified Democratic vote if he endorses all of the Democrats in the County — or I could be messing with him.  No Dem seems to be running.  From San Diego County, Former Assemblyman Martin Garrick had been rumored as likely to run here, but at this point no one outside of OC has filed.  You may be wondering whether any Democrat, from either county, will file.  You are not alone in that.  I’ve heard no chatter at all — and neither has Google.  [Note: OC Political reports that Bates has received the California Republican Assembly’s unanimous endorsement.]  [Update 3/3: Bates paid her fees.]  [3/5: And now she’s officially filed.  Ken Lopez has done nothing more than take out an in-lieu signatures form.  He’s beginning to look like a decoy — meaning that some Democrat will likely run a write-in campaign for the heck of it.]

55th Assembly District

Yorba Linda’s Craig Young was the only Orange Countian considered to be a likely candidate in this race — but he didn’t pull the trigger.  Among LA Republicans, Walnut’s School Board member Philip Chen and Diamond Bar City Council Members Ling-Ling Chang and Steve Tye and Democrat Gregg Fritchle of Walnut, have all filed in LA.  Someone named Peter Cruz took out papers, but has not filed.  Fritchle is likely to make the runoff if, as likely, he can reach 30%.  Whoever his Republican opponent is had better spend all their money by June 3, because they’ll need it.  [Note: OC Political reports that Chen has received the California Republican Assembly endorsement.]  [Update, 3/5: Chen and Tye have now both filed Candidate Statements in Orange County.]

65th Assembly District

Even more than SD-34, this is considered to be he marquee race in Orange County (and even statewide.)  It pits incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva against Ed Royce’s ex-staffer and (as I understand it) de facto social director Young Kim.  Both are already on the ballot.  If anyone else plans to run here, I haven’t heard about it — and in a top-two primary system this is probably not the race to try to crack.

68th Assembly District

This one looks set: incumbent Republican Don Wagner against psychologist, counselor, and longtime Democratic activist Anne Cameron.  Wagner has his eyes on Mimi Walters’s State Senate seat in 2016.

69th Assembly District

Incumbent Democrat Tom Daly finally has a challenger in Cecilia Iglesias.  Neither has yet paid the filing fee.  If Daly has something else in mind, he could be waiting until the last minute to toss the seat to someone like his former employee (and then independent contractor) Jordan Brandman, which would give Brandman’s opponents who want a Latino representative in this district only five days to decide who’d run against him.  (I pretty much expect something like this to happen some time over the next decade.  This year seems too soon — but if the Assembly is not to Daly’s taste, then it would be a great time for a surprise attack — especially given that Julio Perez is now occupied with the Labor Fed.  For now, just keep the possibility of this feint in the back of your mind.)  [Update, 3/5: a woman named Sherry Walker has just paid fees for this race.  No one, Daly included, has filed a Declaration of Candidacy — and if the Registrar’s printout is to be believed, Ceci Inglesias hasn’t even been issued one!]  [3/6: Daly is in.]

72nd Assembly District

Incumbent Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen and endorsed Democratic candidate Joel Block have both paid their fees and will likely face off in November.   Last cycle’s last-place finisher, perennial candidate and nominal Democrat Albert Ayala, is already on the ballot.  [Update, 3/5: Joel Block is on the ballot.  Travis Allen isn’t.  Is something unexpected afoot?  Could he, say, switch to SD-34, leaving this open for someone else between Friday and March 12, once it’s clear that no Democratic “A-Lister” is going to run?  Clever, if so.]

73rd Assembly District

This may be the most interesting legislative race in the County this year after the face-offs in AD-65 and SD-34.  On the Democratic side, moderate Wendy Gabriella (about whose campaign please see my disclaimer) has been working tirelessly and effectively — enough so that I’m told she turned in the most “signatures in lieu” of anyone in the county.  That matters less for the $600+ she saved and more for the many contacts she and her volunteers made.  On the Republican side in this South County district, in order of pre-filing are: (1)  outgoing Assemblywoman Diane Harkey’s staffer Bill Brough, who I hear just received the CRA endorsement (or maybe pre-endorsement, but either way it’s something that others wanted); (2) Capistrano School Board member Anna Bryson; (3) former violent convicted felon (whose record has now been expunged) Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Petrilla; and (4) Laguna Niguel Councilmember and former OCTA Chair Paul Glaab — who is the only one of the five that has paid his filing fee.  The district has enough Democrats and moderate Republicans and independents that Gabriella should make the runoff — and it’s hard to figure out how any of the other four doesn’t have a chance to make it into the other slot.  Orly Taitz chose not to run in the district — despite that I think she had a fair shot of finishing second to Gabriella over four establishment candidates, because no one does Tea Party like Orly does.  [Note: OC Political reports that Brough has received the California Republican Assembly endorsement.]  [Update, 3/4: Brough is on the ballot.]  [3/5: Gabriella is on the ballot.  Petrilla has also apparently done everything he has to do, and Glaab is just one step short, but neither are listed as being on the ballot.  It’s starting to look like Anna Bryson may back out — if not, she’s cutting it close.]  [3/6: Bryson showed up fashionably late to the party, but she’s in.]

74th Assembly District

Councilman Keith Curry from Newport Beach is the only one of five pre-filers already on the ballot here.  Councilman Matt Harper from Huntington Beach and and Travis Allen staffer Emanuel Patrascu have both paid their filing fees.  Anila Ali, the sole Democrat, will do so this week.  Recent transplant Karina Onofre pre-filed, but Ali’s presence in the race means that she would not be the only woman running, which may take away her motive.  But, going back to my discussion of CA-45 — what happens if Ed Royce bigfoots it into that district?  Mimi Walters can stay in the State Senate, but John Moorlach needs a place to hang his hat.  This would seem like the obvious spot.  If that happens, I think that Curry stays in the race, but I have my doubts about the others.  A Moorlach-Curry race, with Ali in there to keep things interesting in June, would be very interesting, given that the winner could very well spend 12 years in this seat.  Also, Allan Mansoor hasn’t yet filed for 2nd District supervisor yet, so he could conceivably still reverse course.  “Incumbent” is a pretty good ballot designation.  [Note: OC Political reports that Harper has received the California Republican Assembly endorsement.]  [UPDATE 3/3: Onofre has paid her fees.]  [3/5 Ali has paid her fees.  Nobody but Curry, though, is actually on the ballot as yet.  Of course, unless Mansoor jumps back in, this one will go into overtime, finishing March 12.]  [3/6: Ali is in.]

Judicial Offices

Only two Superior Court Judges will be running for re-election against challengers.  In Office #20, Helen Hayden, whom I’m told is the wife of Loretta Sanchez’s 2012 challenger Jerry Hayden, filed to challenge Judge Derek G. Johnson (the guy who made and then repeatedly apologized for making some “Todd Akin-like” comments about violent rape than led to an official reprimand.  In Office #27, Wayne Philips will run against Judge Janet Motoike.  In two offices, we know that the incumbents won’t be running — which means that filing for those races ends tomorrow.  In Office #35, Judge Nancy Weiben Stock will step down, with candidates Jeff Ferguson and Carmen Luege facing off.  In Office 14, Judge William R. Froeberg will step down.  Four candidates have already filed: Frederick Fascenelli, Kevin Haskins, Kenneth C. Jones, and Thomas E. Martin.  Everyone above has paid their fees.  You may wonder: is this a “plurality wins” race or one that goes to a November runoff?  Great question!  Someone find out for me, please.  [Update, 3/5: All four candidates for Office 14 are on the ballot.  Neither Judge Johnson nor Hayden are as yet on the ballot for Office #20.]  [3/6: Motoike and Philips are both in for Office 27.  Luege has not yet qualified for Office #35.]

Let’s move to the County level:

Superintendent of Schools

Al Mijares is running for re-election.  I’ve heard no talk of a challenge.

County Board of Education, District 2

David Boyd is the incumbent in District 2; George Kuck and Tom Pollitt have also taken out papers to run.  [Update, 3/4: Boyd has filed his papers].  [3/5: And Boyd is so far the only one on the ballot.]  [3/6: Pollitt is on the ballot.]

County Board of Education, District 5

Elizabeth Dorn Parker holds office in District 5.  Kimberly Clark and Linda Lindholm.  Lindholm is sharing a campaign headquarters with Dana Rohrabacher, which helps her with some voters but also means getting no Democratic votes.  [Update, 3/5: So far, only Parker is on the ballot.]  [3/6: Lindholm’s record looks complete to me too, but she isn’t marked as on.]

Irvine Board of Education Special Election

Appointed incumbent Ira Glasky has filed for the race.  Bob Vu and Carolyn Inman have done the same.  Inman barely lost a seat on the Board in the latest election — but was not chosen to be interviewed for the spot that was filled by Glasky.  Do you know what you get when you do that?  A successful petition for a special election, that’s what!  [Update, 3/6: Inman joins Vu on the ballot — no signs of life from Glasky.]

 2nd District, Board of Supervisors

Democratic Coastline Community College Trustee Jim Moreno will likely grab one spot in the runoff against either Assemblyman Allan Mansoor, Huntington Beach Councilmember Joe Carchio, or new OC arrival Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel (wife of former State GOP Chair Shawn Steel.)  Alan Schlar has also taken out papers but can figure only as a spoiler.  Moreno, Carchio, and Steel have paid their fees.  Schlar and Mansoor have not.  Could Mansoor be thinking better of his decision to challenge Steel?  I don’t think that anything prevents him from going back to AD-74, if he wishes, except for the prospect of humiliation … and of hatred from the various candidates who have targeted that race.  [Note: OC Political reports that Steel has received the California Republican Assembly endorsement.]  [UPDATE, 3/3: Steel is officially in.]  [3/5: And Mansoor still isn’t!  Nothing beyond sigs in lieu!]  [3/6: OK, there’s Mansoor.  He’s in.]

4th District, Board of Supervisors

Shawn Nelson is the incumbent here, and he’s paid his fees — but he hasn’t yet filed his Declaration of Intent to run, so he could still switch races.  Does Nelson have his eye on another office?  Well, one possibility does come to mind — keep reading below for a great conspiracy theory.  If he didn’t run, he might be waiting so as to clear the field for his ally former Supervisor and Assemblyman Chris Norby, who has been making noises about running for Fullerton City Council again.  Running for this seat would make more sense.  His Democratic opponent in this non-partisan race will be Anaheim military veteran Rudy Gaona.  [Update, 3/3: Gaona is officially in — and, officially, Nelson still isn’t!]  [3/6: And Nelson is on!]

5th District, Board of Supervisors

Four people have filed for this seat: former two-time Laguna Niguel Mayor Robert Ming, Dana Point Councilwoman Lisa Bartlett, Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury, all Republicans, and Joe Williams, about whom I’m not sure.  All but Ming have paid their fees.  [Note: OC Political reports that Ming has received the California Republican Assembly’s unanimous endorsement.]  [Update, 3/4: the Joe Williams running here is indeed the Deputy District Attorney of that name, and he is on the ballot.]  [3/6: Ming and Ury both make it onto the ballot.  No signs of life from Bartlett, not since the huge attack on her over TCA contracts.  She’s looking unlikely.]

Assessor

The incumbent in the only remaining non-hyphenated County Office is Webster Guillory, who is vulnerable and may not run for re-election.  Claude Parrish of the Board of Equalization, and long-term Assessor’s Office Manager — and whistleblower — Jorge Lopez have taken out papers.  Both of the latter have paid their filing fees.  [Update, 3/4: a Francis Kavanaugh is now on the list without apparently having done anything to get there (presumably a clerical error) and Dennis Bilodeau has paid his filing fee and has been issued his nomination papers.]  [3/6 Parrish is in.  This is likely to go to November.]

Auditor-Controller

Jan Grimes is the appointed incumbent; so far, she hasn’t filed.  (I really hope that a pledge not to run wasn’t the price exacted by the Board of Supervisors for appointing her.)  James Benuzzi, Eric Woolery, John Willard, and Frank Davies have all taken out papers.  both have.  Grimes seems well-respected; I don’t see why she wouldn’t run, but no inside info here.  So far, Woolery — who seems to have a lot of institutional Republican support — and Davies have paid their filing fees.  [Update, 3/5: Benuzzi jumps to the head of the pack, as the only one who has filed his Declaration of Candidacy.  Unless Grimes hurries up, though, this one is going into extra innings.]

Clerk-Recorder

The incumbent is Republican Hugh Nguyen.  A reported Democrat, Monica Maddox, who was  originally reported to have filed as Monica Lopez-Maddox, has taken out papers against him — but her marriage to Republican former Capistrano School Board member Ken Maddox (or Maddow-Lopez, etc.), that AD-73 candidate up there, has raised eyebrows.  That may have something to do with a definite Democrat, Capistrano School Board member Gary Pritchard, having taken out papers as well.  (I know Gary, but I haven’t asked him about this.)  Steve Rocco is also in the race.  Only Maddox and Rocco have paid their fees by now — and Maddox does not likely fall below the “would not vote for her over Rocco” line.  Expect Nguyen to file.  [Update, 3/5: Nguyen has paid his fees.]  [3/6: Pritchard paid and has everything in but the Declaration of Candidacy, which presumably comes tomorrow.  No movement from Nguyen.]

District Attorney-Public Administrator

The County Supervisors were irked at Orange County voters for not agreeing to let them appoint the Public Administrator (who has also been the Public Guardian, a more lucrative but non-elected office), so they’ve folded that office into the chores of the District Attorney, lopping several candidates off of the ballot.  Right now, the only name listed is Tony Rackauckas — but the Register, the Weekly, Voice of OC, and several local blogs have reported that he will have a challenger — a local Democratic Party official — once that candidate gets his contribution button linked up with his website.  That challenger, who is the author of this article here writing about himself in third person, has suggested that Rackauckas’s Chief of Staff Susan Kang-Schroeder may be the real candidate intended to serve, but OJB has not been has been considered a possible candidate if he doesn’t run — or a possible Board of Supervisors appointee to a vacancy if he does run and then resigns.  Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Shawn Nelson have been respectively certain and rumored to be interested in the position — but if Kang-Schroeder is appointed to fill a vacancy left by Rackauckas, they might have to plan to wait a while.  Lou Correa, who is nominally raising money for an Attorney General bid in 2018 (because you have to say that you’re running for something if you’re going to raise money), would be an obvious choice to run for this position, if he really does want to be AG.  But he has already endorsed Rackauckas for re-election — before any Democrat has entered the race, of course.  If T-Rack somehow backs out, this one gets more interesting.

Sheriff-Coroner

Sandra Hutchens appears to be running unopposed.  ‘Nuff said.

Treasurer-Tax Collector

Incumbent Shari Friedenrich is running again, with no opposition emerging as yet.  I keep reading that OCEA has been upset with her at times regarding her votes on pensions, so one might expect a labor-backed candidate — but it’s getting late in the game for that!

UPDATES

Monday’s updates are found above, currently in purple.  Mostly, my suspicions that Royce might switch and Onofre might drop out have been dashed.

Tuesday’s updates are found above, currently in blue.  Dennis Bilodeau has joined the Assessor’s race and the identity and candidacy of Joe Williams for 5th District Supe have been confirmed.

Wednesday’s updates are found above, currently in green.  Bates, Block, and Gabriella are on the ballot; Petrilla and Glaab poised to follow.  Tran, Solorio, and Ali have paid deposits for the rings.  At this point, who is NOT on the ballot — Kashkari, Nguyen, Nelson, Allen, Bryson, and more — is more interesting than who is!]

Thursday’s updates are in brown.  CA-39 is set.  Raths and Leavens in on CA-45.  In CA-48, Savary is in; Leece still out.  In SD-34, Nguyen is in.  In AD-69, Daly is in.  In AD-73, Bryson is in.  In AD-74, Ali is in.  Mansoor, Nelson, Ming, and Ury make the ballot in their Supes races.  Parrish is in for Assessor, Pritchard all but in for Clerk.  Glasky doesn’t seem in for the Irvine Special.  But the biggest news is non-news: presuming (as I understand is that case) that he does need to file in his home county of OC, Neel Kashkari is cutting it right down to the wire!]


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)