Rosen looks like a contender for the OC Board of Supervisors

We’ve focused on the GOP candidates for Lou Correa’s Supervisorial seat, but what about the Democrats? Martin Wisckol addressed this today in Total Buzz, and I am including his entire column below, as it is very interesting.

It appears that Joe Dunn and Tom Umberg are not going to run for this seat. Dunn apparently wants to secure a post in Sacramento – which should be easy to do as his party runs the town. Umberg is just toast and he should go away and do us all a favor.

Tom Daly appears to be happy in his county position, which leaves us with…Mark Rosen, the Garden Grove Mayor Pro Tem. Rosen has a lot of Republican fans, as you will read about in Wisckol’s post, and unlike his possible Republican opponents, he has a lot of experience – eight years on the Garden Grove City Council, and experience with John Wayne Airport and the OCTA. He has also litigated a lot of county issues.

Rosen appears to be in the race no matter who else decides to run. Now we just have to see if Correa is going to move on to Sacramento or not. Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher is giving him a run for the money. If she can get independent voters to go her way, Correa might be in trouble after all. He certainly won’t get any help from Phil Angelides, who is seriously tanking against Governor Schwarzenegger.

Mark Rosen for Supervisor?

By Martin Wisckol, Total Buzz

More remarkable than Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen’s possible supervisorial bid is that fact that three sitting supervisors are on the host committee for his upcoming fundraiser — and a fourth is a “Featured Guest.”

If Supervisor Lou Correa is successful in his November bid for state Senate, Rosen plans to run for Correa’s vacated seat on the board. Other possible candidates include Republicans Carlos Bustamante, a Santa Ana councilman, and Janet Nguyen, a Garden Grove councilwoman.

Democrats Tom Umberg and Joe Dunn are thought to be less likely to run, but it’s too early to rule them out altogether. Both are termed out of the Legislature this year.

Rosen is a Democrat, but that hasn’t stopped GOP Supervisors Chris Norby, Tom Wilson and Jim Silva from joining in the fun for a $250-a-head reception at Antonello’s Ristorante on Sept. 27. Two Democrats — Supervisor Lou Correa and Santa Ana Councilman Jose Solario — are “Featured Guests.” Officially, the event is to raise money for Rosen’s city council account.
All of which is a recipe for political intrigue.

Rosen is quick to say that none of the supervisors have endorsed him to replace Correa, and to reiterate that money raised goes into his city council account. But he’s run his last council race — term limits mean he won’t be in his current seat after 2008. And he can transfer money from council account into a future supervisorial account, meaning next month’s fundraiser looks a lot like a supervisorial campaign event.

The supervisors’ seat is non-partisan but the county GOP has been quick to play in local races, particularly when it comes to endorsing Republicans. However, current supervisors have gotten to know Rosen as they all sit on the Orange County Transportation Authority together — and apparently the supes like what they see in Rosen. Perhaps the supes also know something about Bustamante, who works in the county planning department.

As for Nguyen getting the cold shoulder, I see that Garden Grove Mayor Bill Dalton and Garden Grove Councilman Harry Krebs are also on Rosen’s host committee. They’re both Republicans, as is fellow host and Westminster Councilman Andy Quach — an indication that Rosen is not only plugged into GOP circles but also has contacts in Little Saigon.

Let the odds making begin.