We’re live from the CRA endorsing convention, part 2. The first part was on March 1. Click here for the results from March 1, when endorsements in SD-36, AD-73, AD-74, Supe-2, and Supe-5 were made (CD-45 was deadlocked between Mimi Walters and John Moorlach). This March 22 meeting is to consider races not considered on March 1.
45TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
9:24 AM: In light of John Moorlach dropping out, the delegates voted to suspend the rules to reconsider CD-45.
9:25 AM: Greg Raths speaks about his military service and his family. He speaks about the national debt. He speaks about Mimi Walters’s endorsements and says he has 63 volunteers walking precincts.
9:28 AM: Benita Gagne asks if Raths would vote to impeach Obama.
9:29 AM: Raths says jobs, the economy, education, and repealing Obamacare are more important.
9:31 AM: Tom Pollitt asked Raths about debates in CD-45 and the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
9:32 AM: Raths says Walters has declined to debate, and he says she voted for a $2.3 billion tax increase.
9:48 AM: After the first round, the vote is Mimi Walters 11, Greg Raths 8, and no endorsement 2. This goes to a second round of voting.
9:55 AM: The second round vote total was not announced, but no one got 2/3 to get an endorsed.
9:56 AM: Raths notes that he is the only candidate who was able to sign his own nomination papers because he actually lives in the district. He says he wants to represent his friends, family, and neighbors. He calls Walters a career politician. He speaks about his military career and his family. He says he is 110% pro-life. He says Walters broke her pledge to not raise taxes. He says CRA should break from the New Majority crowd to endorse him, not Walters.
10:14 AM: There is no endorsement with 10 for Walters, 8 for Raths, and 1 for no endorsement.
NO CD-45 ENDORSEMENT
39TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
9:38 AM: Congressman Ed Royce was endorsed unanimously for re-election in CD-39.
ROYCE ENDORSED
46TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
9:39 AM: Carlos Vazquez speaks about his family fleeing from Cuba. He speaks about reducing regulations, cutting taxes, improving education, supporting charter schools, and repealing Obamacare.
9:43 AM: John Cullum speaks about increasing local control and not being in awe of elected officials. He says he spoke with Loretta Sanchez and told her that she has been in office too long, and she was shocked that he said that in her office, which he calls “the people’s office.” He says he supports jobs, solving healthcare, and improving the economy. He says he will work across party lines.
9:46 AM: Benita Gagne asks about why he supports the removal of the pro-life plank of the Republican Party platform.
9:47 AM: Cullum says he is pro-life, but that he wants to stop alienating people from the Republican Party.
VAZQUEZ ENDORSED
34TH SENATE DISTRICT
10:00 AM: Janet Nguyen thanks CRA members for their help electing Andy Vidak and Kevin Faulconer. She says CRA will help win SD-34 to break the Democratic supermajority. She speaks out against SCA 5, a Democratic proposal to partially overturn Prop 209. She speaks of her family’s immigration to the U.S. She speaks about non-discrimination and the importance of treating people of all races equally. She says Cuong Cao, Westminster CRA President, told her he would oppose her in every election because she is married to a non-Vietnamese person (Tom Bonikowski). Nguyen calls for non-discrimination and party unity.
10:04 AM: A delegate asks if she believes life begins at conception.
10:05 AM: Nguyen says she is pro-life. Rape and incest are her only exceptions.
10:06 AM: Cao says Nguyen should not show up in the Vietnamese community with her non-Vietnamese husband.
10:07 AM: Nguyen reiterates her prior comments on race.
10:07 AM: Joy Neugebauer asks about Prop 13.
10:08 AM: Nguyen says she opposes the split roll. She says she supports Prop 13. She says she opposes eminent domain and supports property rights.
10:09 AM: Jim Cunneen asks how she will bring manufacturing business to SD-34.
10:09 AM: Nguyen says she would support cutting burdensome job-killing regulations and incentivize job creation.
10:10 AM: Pham speaks about immigrating to the U.S. He says he is a problem solver. He says NASA turned to Long Pham. He says Pete Wilson turned to Long Pham. He says when they need nuclear clean-up, they turned to Long Pham. He says he was elected to the Orange County Board of Education. He says his American Dream was shattered by the grand jury report on CalOptima. He was critical of her press conference with Ed Royce where he was not allowed to campaign (the press conference was about a piece of Royce legislation that was suggested by Nguyen).
10:14 AM: A delegate asks about Prop 13.
10:14 AM: He says he supports Prop 13.
10:15 AM: Chris Emami asks why Pham did not endorse CRA-endorsed candidate Robert Hammond for his old seat.
10:15 AM: Pham claims he did not endorse because he didn’t know who was running. (Editor’s Note: Filing closed just five days after Hammond entered the race.)
10:16 AM: A delegate asks Pham why he opposed Prop 32 at the CRA convention two years ago.
10:16 AM: Pham mumbled that he supported Prop 32. (Editor’s Note: That’s not true. I was at the CRA convention two years ago.)
10:16 AM: Nat Serslev asks if Pham attempted to misdirect Congressman Ed Royce about the exact location of the building when Royce arrived in the parking lot for the press conference.
10:16 AM: Pham denies it and accuses Royce and Nguyen of spreading lies.
10:29 AM: Janet Nguyen got 24 votes while Long Pham got 6 votes.
NGUYEN ENDORSED
48TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
10:19 AM: Dana Rohrabacher is endorsed by unanimous consent.
ROHRABACHER ENDORSED
47TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
10:22 AM: Voting begins on whether or not to endorse Andrew Whallon against Alan Lowenthal. Whallon is not present.
10:29 AM: Whallon got 15 votes while no endorsement got 5 votes.
WHALLON ENDORSED
49TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
10:23 AM: Darrell Issa is endorsed by unanimous consent.
ISSA ENDORSED
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AREA 5
10:31 AM: Craig Alexander speaks about Liz Parker being a RINO who has voted against 4 of the last 5 charter schools. Alexander speaks about Lindholm’s conservative record on the Laguna Niguel Council. He speaks of her endorsement by Robert Ming, the CRA-endorsed candidate for Supervisor. Alexander speaks of Parker’s liberalism. Alexander notes that Lindholm is endorsed by the two conservatives Orange County Board of Education Members, Robert Hammond and Ken Williams. Alexander hopes that both Linda Lindholm and Tom Pollitt will be elected to change the conservative minority into a conservative supermajority.
10:42 AM: Lindholm got 13 votes while no endorsement got 1 vote.
LINDHOLM ENDORSED
65TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
10:36 AM: David Shawver speaks of Young Kim’s conservatism. Shawver speaks about Kim’s election being critical to breaking the Democratic supermajority.
10:45 AM: Young Kim was endorsed with 27 votes. It was unanimous.
KIM ENDORSED
68TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
10:41 AM: Don Wagner is endorsed for re-election by unanimous consent.
WAGNER ENDORSED
69TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
10:48 AM: Cecilia Iglesias receives 7 votes while no endorsement got 1 vote.
IGLESIAS ENDORSED
72ND ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
10:58 AM: Travis Allen receives 21 votes while no endorsement got 4 votes.
ALLEN ENDORSED
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AREA 2
10:50 AM: Tom Pollitt speaks about the importance of improving children’s education. Pollitt speaks about the literally hundreds of charter schools in Los Angeles County and San Diego County. Pollitt notes his opponent voted for 1 of the last five charter schools. Pollitt wants to support charter schools that help children’s education. Pollitt says he opposes Common Core and supports local control. Pollitt says he supports limited government, personal responsibility, and family values. He notes his endorsements by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Supervisor John Moorlach, Mayor Jim Righeimer, Councilman Robert Ming, and Orange County Board of Education Members Robert Hammond and Ken Williams.
10:53 AM: Phil Morello asks about Pollitt’s experience and whether his election matters.
10:54 AM: Pollitt speaks of being chairman of his school board and serving on another school’s board of directors. He says currently there is a 3-2 majority, so his election and Linda Lindholm’s election will flip it to a 4-1 majority the other way.
11:08 AM: Pollitt received 31 votes while David Boyd received 3 votes.
POLLITT ENDORSED
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE OFFICE #35
10:59 AM: Jeff Ferguson speaks about being a senior deputy district attorney. He says he is a constitutionalist. He says he believes in the 2nd Amendment, and he is pro-property rights. He says he opposes including foreign law in California courts.
11:01 AM: Craig Alexander notes that judicial candidates cannot speak about specific rulings, but they can answer questions about their political beliefs.
11:03 AM: A delegate asks about the philosophy of holding constitutional officers should be held to their oaths of office.
11:04 AM: He says, of course. He says he has upheld up his oath as a Senior Deputy District Attorney.
11:05 AM: A delegate asks about his beliefs on abortion.
11:05 AM: Ferguson says he believes life begins at conception.
11:06 AM: He says he’s served three decades as a prosecutor and did 80 trials in his first three years. He says his opponent has 17 years as a federal prosecutor before becoming a Superior Court Commissioner and only did 15 trials.
11:07 AM: Ferguson endorsed by standing vote with only 1 in opposition.
FERGUSON ENDORSED
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE OFFICE #14
11:10 AM: Fred Fascenelli went to Villa Park High School, Chapman College, and Western State Law School. He holds a patent. He launched a small business after law school. He speaks of the wide variety of fields of law he’s practiced in. He served as a mediator for the Better Business Bureau for five years.
11:12 AM: Craig Alexander asks about his belief about the Constitution being a living document or being based on original intent.
11:13 AM: Fascenelli says the Constitution should be considered a living, breathing document. He says we need to look at core values and intended purpose of the Constitution.
11:14 AM: Alexander says Fascenelli claimed it was inappropriate to answer the question of when life begins.
11:15 AM: Fascenelli says life begins at the molecular level.
11:15 AM: Tom Pollitt asks about standing on the principles of the constitution.
11:16 AM: Fascenelli says the Commerce Clause has been perverted.
11:35 AM: Fred Fascenelli got 12 votes, Kevin Haskins got 21 (despite not being present), and no endorsement got 22 votes.
11:48 AM: Fascenelli asks if anyone has any questions but is ruled out of order. Fascenelli then says he’s been a businessman who understands what small businesses face from the law.
12:08 PM: Fascenelli receives 15 votes, Haskins received 23 votes, while no endorsement received 15 votes.
12:12 PM: He speaks of his family, including his wife who is on the Villa Park City Council. He speaks of being a lifelong Republican. He has visited a number of foreign courts and believes the U.S. has the best legal system in the world.
12:22 PM: Fascenelli gets 13 votes, Haskins gets 28 votes, and no endorsement gets 11 votes.
NO JUDGE #14 ENDORSEMENT
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE OFFICE #20
11:24 AM: Helen Hayden speaks about her knowledge of not just courtrooms, but contracts too. She speaks of her experience with various corportate and contract law areas. She says she is running against Judge Derek Johnson, who was appointed by Gray Davis, because Johnson was admonished by a judicial panel for arguing that a woman’s body shuts down during a rape and that the victim didn’t fight back.
11:27 AM: Steve Sarkis asks if there was any judicial investigation.
11:27 AM: Hayden says the Commission on Judicial Performance admonished Johnson. Johnson told the commission that his own remarks were the prosecutor’s fault because Johnson was frustrated with the prosecutor.
11:28 AM: Baron Night asks about her thoughts on original intent versus living document for the Constitution.
11:28 AM: Hayden says she will rule based on the four corners of the Constitution.
11:50 AM: Hayden receives 54 votes while no endorsement got 4 votes.
HAYDEN ENDORSED
ASSESSOR
11:41 AM: Claude Parrish speaks about the Assessor’s duties. He speaks about how OC property tax appeals have increased from 8,000 to 25,080 under the incumbent. Parrish speaks about his experience at the Board of Equalization.
11:43 AM: Craig Alexander abstains because he is on the Assessment Appeals Board, but Pam Alexander asks about Prop 8 (the tax one, not the same-sex marriage one) and Prop 13.
11:44 AM: Parrish speaks about Prop 8 property tax assessed value reductions, assessment appeals, and his endorsement by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
11:47 AM: Parrish endorsed unanimously, except for Craig Alexander’s abstention.
PARRISH ENDORSED
AUDITOR-CONTROLLER
11:53 AM: Eric Woolery speaks about what the Auditor-Controller does. He thanks the CRA for its endorsement in his previous successful race for OC Board of Education. He speaks of casting his first vote for Ronald Reagan in 1984. He speaks of his background as a private sector CPA, a County department budget administrator, and Orange Treasurer.
11:54 AM: Steve Sarkis asks about liberal groups attacking Woolery like they have in the past.
11:54 AM: Woolery assumes so but has heard nothing. He notes his other opponents are County bureaucrats.
11:55 AM: A delegate asks if this is an open seat.
11:55 AM: Woolery confirms that it is.
11:56 AM: A delegate asks a question on unfunded pension liability.
11:56 AM: Woolery talks about his experience and his calculations of unfunded liability as Orange Treasurer.
11:57 AM: Don Gilchrist notes he trusted Woolery to do the Gilchrist family’s taxes.
11:58 AM: Woolery endorsed by unanimous standing vote.
WOOLERY ENDORSED
CLERK-RECORDER
11:59 AM: Hugh Nguyen is the son of an American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. He is married to his high school sweetheart, a Latina. He speaks about his 14 years of experience in the Clerk-Recorder’s office. He speaks of his numerous fiscal reforms since becoming Clerk-Recorder.
12:02 PM: Steve Sarkis speaks about Nguyen’s vast improvements since taking over the Clerk-Recorder.
12:03 PM: Nguyen speaks about his Saturday openings, online appointments for marriages and passports, extended hours on Wednesday.
12:04 PM: Craig Alexander asks if Gary Pritchard (one of Nguyen’s opponents) is a liberal Democrat, who opposed both Prop 8 and Mimi Walters and is part of the liberal Capo Unified majority.
12:04 PM: Nguyen says he doesn’t know much about Pritchard. Nguyen speaks about more of his reforms in the Clerk-Recorder’s office to combat real estate fraud.
12:07 PM: Hugh Nguyen is endorsed unanimously.
NGUYEN ENDORSED
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
12:09 PM: All but 3 vote to endorse Tony Rackauckas.
RACKAUCKAS ENDORSED
SHERIFF-CORONER
12:10 PM: All but 12 vote to endorse Sandra Hutchens.
HUTCHENS ENDORSED
TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR
12:11 PM: All but 5 vote to endorse Shari Friedenrich.
FRIEDENRICH ENDORSED
12:24 PM: CRA June endorsements are completed.
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Here’s the comprehensive run-down on all non-federal and non-judicial races on Orange County’s ballots for the 2014 primary election. With regard to State races, I’m only posting Board of Equalization and legislative because statewide races require that I check 58 Registrars, which is a task too onerous for this blogger; going through five Registrars for BOE was annoying enough.
There were a lot of vacancies this year. Three countywide posts and one school board seat remain vacant. All salaries noted below are base pay.
OC Political 