OC Political

A right-of-center blog covering local, statewide, and national politics

AD-73: Petrilla Has Double Cash-on-Hand of All Opponents Combined, Bryson & Brough Nearly Tied, Glaab Deep in Debt

Posted by Chris Nguyen on March 27, 2014

I’m pretty much going to quote my opening paragraph from my January post on the AD-73 race because it serves to remind us of this chaotic year:

Next up in OC Political’s ongoing in-depth analysis of campaign finance figures is the race for the 73rd Assembly District seat being vacated by the termed out Diane Harkey, who is running for the Board of Equalization seat being vacated by the termed out Michelle Steel, who is running for the Second District Supervisor’s seat being vacated by the termed out John Moorlach, who is running for the 45th Congressional District seat being vacated by John Campbell, who voluntarily retired.  (That incredibly long sentence demonstrates a recurring theme in 2014…)

Republican AD-73 Candidates: Jesse Petrilla, Anna Bryson, Bill Brough, Paul Glaab

The four Republican AD-73 Candidates: Jesse Petrilla, Anna Bryson, Bill Brough, Paul Glaab

I’ll also quote the second paragraph from my January post:

There are four announced Republican candidates in AD-73: Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Petrilla, Dana Point Councilman Bill Brough, Capistrano Unified School District Trustee Anna Bryson, and former Laguna Niguel Councilman Paul Glaab.  One Democrat, Attorney and Irvine Valley College Professor Wendy Gabriella, has announced for the race.  Gabriella’s entry in the race virtually guarantees a Republican vs. Democrat general election, with the Republican winning handily and spareing South County Republicans an AD-73 general election intraparty bloodbath.

What can I say?  Conditions in AD-73 have been fairly stable.  The announced candidates are exactly the same candidates who qualified for the ballot.  Now on to the latest numbers, which really haven’t moved all that much…

Petrilla’s fundraising slowed in this reporting period ($15,824, second behind Bryson), but his dominant lead ($104,839) from 2013 maintained his position as the AD-73 candidate with the most money raised, with $120,663.  He was the only candidate who raised more than he spent in this reporting period with his $15,228 in expenditures. This brings his total overall spending to just $23,410, and his tight-fisted spending has him actually fourth in expenditures.  Consequently, he has nearly $100,000 cash-on-hand, once loans and unpaid bills are accounted for, with $97,577, to be exact.  Republican Bryson, Republican Brough, and Democrat Gabriella have a combined $49,561 in that category (about half Petrilla’s figure), though adding the deeply-in-debt Republican Glaab leaves Petrilla’s opponents at a combined $14,550, which would mean Republican Petrilla has almost seven times the combined cash-on-hand of his opponents.  It’s not unreasonable to leave Glaab out and note that Petrilla has twice the combined cash-on-hand of his non-indebted opponents.  The biggest question is: why is Petrilla hoarding his money?  I think the most logical conclusion is that Petrilla plans to dominate the AD-73 direct mail.

Bryson raised more than her opponents this reporting period with $29,822, but she spent more than she took in, spending $32,514.  She also has $14,279 in unpaid bills.  Plus, she still lags behind Petrilla in overall funds raised.  She spent half her money on her consultants.  It’s not that her consultants are charging exorbitant rates – it’s simply that she has numerous consultants.  She’s raised $114,965 overall but already spent $75,224; after accounting for that $14,279 in unpaid bills, Bryson is left with just $25,463 cash on hand, assuming she has no plans to spend her $69,600 loan.  Her consulting fees are quickly eating up her once-sizeable warchest.

Bob Dole with AD-73 Candidate Bill Brough

Bob Dole with AD-73 Candidate Bill Brough earlier this month

Brough raised $10,297 this reporting period, bringing his total funds raised to $61,240.  He spent $18,084 this reporting period, bringing his total spending to $39,744.  He has a healthy mix of spending, with no one area jumping out to dominate his spending. He remains the candidate with the smallest loans, by far, at just $100.  He, Petrilla, and Gabriella have no unpaid bills.  Among AD-73 candidates, Brough definitely has the most interesting campaign contributor, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who was the Republican nominee for President in 1996.  The Brough campaign had announced the Dole endorsement two weeks ago, and Dole gave Brough’s campaign $500.

Glaab raised $8,899 this reporting period, bringing his total funds raised from other people to $36,985.  However, he also donated $22,000 to his campaign in 2013 (not loaned, but truly donated), bringing his total funds raised up to $58,985.  He spent $40,053 this reporting period, bringing his total expenditures to $90,072, the highest level of expenditures of any candidate in AD-73.  While Glaab has a mix of spending, he has spent a fortune on slate mailers.  With the least raised and most spent among the Republican candidates (even after accounting for his self-contribution of $22,000), Glaab is deeply in debt, to the tune of $35,011.  He’s clearly banking on the slate mailer strategy for this race, but he didn’t secure all the slates.

On slates, in my January post, I said, “Glaab secured the vast majority of slate mailers.  There are five major slate vendors, with Glaab grabbing three of them, including the two vendors who produce the most slate mailers.  Bryson grabbed one vendor.  It appears the fifth vendor is up for grabs still.”  Well, Brough has since nabbed the fifth vendor.  Slate mailers are now divided in this race, with three candidates nabbing the major slates, though Glaab has the lion’s share.

Nothing new regarding loans or candidate self-funding, so here’s the paragraph from my January post on that:

Here at OC Political, we’ve railed repeatedly against the $100,000 paper tiger loans.  (These loans of $100,000 or less are frequently used by candidates to artificially inflate their warchest numbers.  While OC Political has many posts about those, this one is probably the seminal post on the issue.)  I will give Paul Glaab credit for actually spending his own money. Glaab put his money where his mouth is, and donated $22,000 to his own campaign beyond the $100,000 loan he made to his campaign.  State campaign finance regulations put that $22,000 forever out of Glaab’s reach; it is nonrefundable, and he must spend it on the campaign.  Glaab was well aware of this regulation and properly reported the $22,000 as a contribution, not a loan.

Democrat Wendy Gabriella raised $4,592 this reporting period, bringing her total funds raised to $16,703.  She spent $9,507 this reporting period, bringing her total expenditures to $14,089.  (Interestingly, top fundraiser Petrilla’s spending is so low that his expenditure levels are closer to dead-last fundraiser Gabriella’s than to any of his Republican opponents.)  With no unpaid bills and a candidate loan of $1,196, Gabriella’s cash-on-hand is $2,614.

Here’s the chart:

Candidate 2013
Contrib.		 1/1/14-
3/17/14
Contrib.		 Candidate
Contrib.		 Total
Contrib.		 Candidate
Loans		 Unpaid
Bills		 2013
Expend.		 1/1/14-
3/17/14
Expend.		 Total
Expend.		 Cash-
on-Hand
(COH)		 COH
Minus
Unpaid
Bills		 COH
Minus
Unpaid
Bills &
Loans
Petrilla $104,839 $15,824 $0 $120,663 $3,500 $0 $8,182 $15,228 $23,410 $101,077 $101,077 $97,577
Bryson $85,143 $29,822 $0 $114,965 $69,600 $14,279 $42,710 $32,514 $75,224 $109,342 $95,063 $25,463
Brough $50,943 $10,297 $0 $61,240 $100 $0 $21,660 $18,084 $39,744 $21,584 $21,584 $21,484
Glaab $28,086 $8,899 $22,000 $58,985 $100,000 $3,925 $50,019 $40,053 $90,072 $68,914 $64,989 -($35,011)
Gabriella $12,111 $4,592 $0 $16,703 $1,196 $0 $4,582 $9,507 $14,089 $5,693 $5,693 $2,614
Notes: Figures may be off by one dollar due to rounding.

Campaign finance reports for January 1-March 17, 2014 were due Monday.

Posted in 73rd Assembly District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

BREAKING NEWS: Complaint Filed With Office Of The District Attorney Against Brett Barbre

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 26, 2014

OC Political was tipped off today by an anonymous source that a complaint was filed with the office of the District Attorney against Brett Barbre. Barbre who is one of the consultants working on the Troy Edgar campaign is accused of falsely signing that he gathered nomination signatures on a document that somebody else circulated. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to the Office of the District Attorney:

Barbre_Complaint

We will report more on this story along with the pending lawsuit to get Troy Edgar back on the ballot as soon as we get more information.

 

Posted in Orange County Clerk-Recorder | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

AD-74: Curry Dominates Fundraising, Patrascu Distant Second, Harper Spends All on Slates

Posted by Chris Nguyen on March 26, 2014

Well, it’s that time of the election cycle again: campaign finance reports are out. OC Political will be doing our in-depth analysis to help you get past the campaigns’ spin on the numbers.  First on the docket is the race for AD-74 to replace Allan Mansoor, who is leaving the Assembly to run for the 2nd District Supervisor’s seat, being vacated by the termed out John Moorlach.  AD-74 consists of Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, the southern half of Huntington Beach, and portions of Irvine.

Harper, Curry, Patrascu

The three Republican candidates in AD-74: Matthew Harper, Keith D. Curry, and Emanuel Patrascu.

There are three declared Republican candidates in AD-74: Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper, Businessman/Newport Beach Councilman Keith D. Curry, and Assemblyman Travis Allen’s District Director Emanuel Patrascu, an Orange County business owner.  H&R Block Franchise Associate Karina Onofre pulled papers as a Republican but filed them as a Democrat, so she’s on the ballot as a Democrat. Middle School Teacher Anila Ali, who has been a Democrat since she became a U.S. citizen in 2008, will also be on the ballot.  (For those wondering, Onofre was a Republican for 20 months, from July 2012-March 2014.  She has been a Democrat for years, other than during those 20 months.)

When OC Political analyzed the numbers for the end of the 2013 reporting, AD-74 was called the “Land of Small Warchests” in the post. Since then, Curry put his foot on the gas, and Patrascu stepped it up a bit, so those two are posting much stronger numbers (though still far behind races in other Assembly districts, but at the end of the day, to win this race, AD-74 only needs to worry about AD-74).  The other three candidates’ warchests remain rather small, however.

Before I start in on the numbers, it’s time to attack the $100,000 paper tiger loans.  We’ve been attacking the fiction of the $100,000 loans for months on OC Political.  (This July post is probably the seminal post on the issue, though it wasn’t until this August post that the paper tiger name was attached.)  In essence, these $100,000 paper tiger loans are loans candidates make to artificially inflate their campaign finance numbers to impress donors and scare opponents.  The reason $100,000 is the figure used is that’s the most a candidate can loan their own campaign and still get the money back.  Any amount the candidate gives above $100,000 is forever donated to the campaign under state law.  In AD-74, Republican Curry and Democrat Onofre gave their own campaigns $100,000 paper tiger loans.  It also appears Republican Patrascu gave his campaign a smaller paper tiger loan of $29,700.  Republican Harper has actually spent his negligible $4,100 loan.

Curry had a slow start to 2013, but of course he declared his entry in the race just three weeks before Christmas.  In the prior post on AD-74 warchests, I asked, ” If Curry can continue his pace of $21,200 per month, he will quickly amass the largest warchest in AD-74.  However, many candidates find their fundraising slows down after an initial burst after their campaigns launch when they pick up their low-hanging fruit donors; can Curry defy the odds?”  The answer is yes, he defied the odds.  In this latest reporting period, Curry raised $32,871 per month.

Curry added $83,768 this reporting period to his $21,200 from 2013, making him the first AD-74 candidate to break the $100,000 barrier in funds raised, with $104,968 in the course of his campaign.  Curry transferred a negligible $6,490 from his city council campaign account in 2013, but transferred nothing this reporting period.  He also gave himself one of those $100,000 paper tiger loans that we expect he won’t spend.  Curry spent $32,271 on a healthy mix of items, including campaign literature, slate mailers, fundraising, ballot filing fees, and consultant fees.  He has no unpaid bills.  Even after subtracting out his loans, Curry still has $78,506 cash-on-hand.

Patrascu added $25,679 in this reporting period to his $35,395 haul from 2013, bringing his total contributions to $60,974.  He made no transfers.  He has $29,700 in loans.  He was incredibly tight-fisted with his expenditures, spending only $5,098, all of went to fundraising expenses, campaign treasurer expenses, and ballot filing fees.  He has no unpaid bills.  After subtracting out his loans, Patrascu still has $54,021 cash-on-hand.

Harper only raised $2,150 in this reporting period ($1,900 from Rainbow Disposal and $250 from attorney Dave Bartels), adding to the $4,100 he raised in 2013 from Karen Harper last year, leaving Harper with $6,250 raised.  He transferred in $11,150 from his City Council account into his Assembly account, all during this reporting period.  He loaned himself $4,100.  He spent $15,674, with $13,700 going to Jim Lacy’s Landslide Communications slates, $1,906 going to his treasurer Dave Bauer for either campaign literature or treasurer fees, and $68 in small unitemized expenditures.  He has $17,763 in unpaid bills, with $13,700 on his credit card to pay for Lacy’s Landslide slates, $4,028 on his credit card to pay ballot filing fees, another $1,927 in small unitemized unpaid bills, and $35 on his credit card to pay for small office expenses.  After subtracting out the loans and accounting for his unpaid bills, Harper is $19,940 in debt.

The Democrats are easy to summarize.  Ali has not yet hit the $25,000 mark to require online campaign finance filing.  Onofre gave herself a $100,000 paper tiger loan.  She spent nothing and transferred nothing.  She has a single $100 contribution from Republican CD-45 candidate Greg Raths; from the date of the contribution, Onofre was still a Republican at the time.  I imagine Raths will be asking for his $100 back since Onofre has become a Democrat.

For visual learners:

Candidate 2013
Contributions		 1/1/14-3/17/14
Contributions		 Total
Contributions		 Transfers Candidate
Loans		 Unpaid
Bills		 Expenditures Cash on Hand
(COH)		 COH Minus
Unpaid Bills		 COH Minus
Unpaid Bills
& Loans
Harper $4,100 $2,150 $6,250 $11,150 $4,100 $17,763 $15,674 $1,923 -($15,840) -($19,940)
Curry $21,200 $83,768 $104,968 $6,490 $100,000 $0 $32,271 $178,506 $178,506 $78,506
Patrascu $35,295 $25,679 $60,974 $0 $29,700 $0 $5,098 $83,721 $83,721 $54,021
Onofre $100 N/A $100 $0 $100,000 $0 $0 $100,100 $100,100 $100
Ali N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Notes: Figures may be off by one dollar due to rounding.

Campaign finance reports for January 1-March 17, 2014 were due Monday.

Posted in 74th Assembly District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

AD-55 Watch: First Campaign Commercial by Assembly Candidate Phillip Chen

Posted by Allen Wilson on March 25, 2014

Assembly Candidate Phillip Chen is the first out of the gate by broadcasting campaign commercial on YouTube entitled “Reagan Country”:

Script:

Announcer: California is Reagan Country. A group Ronald Reagan called “The Conscience of the Republican Party” has endorsed one candidate for Assembly: Phillip Chen.

Chen: I am Phillip Chen, like President Reagan, I believe in America is a land of opportunities and for those willing to dream to work.

But, in California those dreams are being crushed by higher taxes and regulations.

As your Assemblyman, I will fight to rein in government, protect Proposition 13 and bring jobs and opportunities back to California.

Posted in 55th Assembly District, California, State Assembly | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Steel Hires One of Top Election Law Attorneys In CA. Does It Matter?

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 25, 2014

Michelle Steel has hired Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP to defend her in a lawsuit by Assemblyman Allan Mansoor challenging her use of the ballot designation “Taxpayer Advocate.” This is extremely impressive considering Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP successfully represented George Runner when both Barbara Alby and Alan Nakanishi challenged “Taxpayer Advocate” in Runner’s “Taxpayer Advocate/Senator” designation. Runner went on to win this race and is currently a sitting member of the California State Board of Equalization. Here are the results, courtesy of http://www.smartvoter.org:

michellesteel

State Board of Equalization; District 2; Republican Party

  • George Runner, Republican ………. 228,758 votes 35.4%
  • Alan Nakanishi, Republican ………. 192,475 votes 29.8%
  • Barbara Alby, Republican ………. 164,527 votes 25.4%
  • Edward C. Streichman, Republican ………. 60,987 votes 9.4%

My reaction to hearing about the ballot designation challenge was, “Does it really matter?” Steel as of campaign finance reports released last night has an ending cash balance of over $500,000. Mansoor has an ending cash balance of just over $60,000. With that much cash on hand, Steel can run as Taxpayer Advocate, State Board of Equalization Member, or Evil Corporate Lawyer and likely still win (or at least finish in 1st place and advance to November).

I definitely understand why Mansoor is doing this because Taxpayer Advocate is a very good ballot designation. Unfortunately, Mansoor might have failed to realize that State Board of Equalization Member is also a very good ballot designation.

Steel currently has an active ground campaign, the most money raised, and the most local endorsements. Many people have told me, “Don’t count out Allan Mansoor, he beat Leslie Daigle when she had a lot more money.” I look at a number of differences in that race:

  • When Mansoor beat Daigle in 2012 he was a sitting incumbent.
  • Daigle did not have the local support that Mansoor had in 2012 (local endorsements were weighted heavily in Mansoor’s favor).
  • Contrary to popular belief Mansoor’s committee actually outspent Daigle’s committee. (IE’s are what tilted the cash battle in Daigle’s favor).
  • Mansoor had a far better precinct operation than Daigle in 2012.

I plan to provide a more thorough analysis on this race along with a number of others closer to election day.

Posted in 2nd Supervisorial District | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Petrilla Named Most Recent Pathfinder Candidate By California Trailblazers: Joins 5 Other OC Candidates

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 24, 2014

I have been meaning to write about this for a while but got behind with a ton of work that had piled up on my desk.

petrilla

Orange County has a number of candidates that have advanced to ‘Pathfinder’ status by the California Trailblazers. Jesse Petrilla (AD 73) joins Janet Nguyen (SD 34), Pat Bates (SD 36), Ling-Ling Chang (AD 55), Phillip Chen (AD 55), and Young Kim (AD 65).

In order to explain a bit more about how the California Trailblazers program works, here is an excerpt from a press release that they issued:

California Trailblazers Announces Four ‘Pathfinder’ Candidates
http://www.catrailblazers.com/news/40/15/California-Trailblazers-Announces-Four-Pathfinder-Candidates/

Senate and Assembly candidates surpass rigorous campaign goals and earn distinction

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Trailblazers today announced another round of Republican candidates who have advanced to ‘Pathfinder’ status, the first level in the program’s three-tier structure. The Trailblazers program is off to a strong start with a majority of state Assembly and Senate candidates enrolled in the program. With today’s announcement, 13 candidates have reached ‘Pathfinder’ status. The Trailblazers program successfully helps candidates strengthen their campaigns by providing resources, training opportunities and practical skills so they are equipped to build and run winning campaigns.

“To renew and rebuild the Republican Party, we need to help develop quality Republican candidates who represent their districts’ values and are well-positioned to connect and engage with voters. Our goal is to elevate candidates and strengthen their campaigns by encouraging them to achieve specific benchmarks throughout the campaign cycle,” said California Trailblazers CEO Jessica Patterson. “Candidates move up the ranks as they reach aggressive benchmarks and develop a strong campaign infrastructure.” Re: CA Trailblazers Announce Petrilla as ‘Pathfinder’ Candidate Page 1 of 3

The three-tier structure encourages candidates to advance through the levels of ‘Pathfinder,’ ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Trailblazer’ by providing tools and resources for candidates to develop successful campaigns.

California Trailblazers distinguishes candidates as ‘Pathfinders’ once they’ve established the foundation for a robust and winning campaign. ‘Pathfinder’ candidates have raised more than $100,000 in campaign contributions, identified local volunteers and precinct captains and created a substantial online presence through a dynamic website and active social media effort.

This is big news for Petrilla who is likely fending off CUSD Trustee Anna Bryson to advance to the November General Election. Petrilla is already the leading fundraiser in AD 73 and has always been known for having a large amount of grassroots supporters. A combination of his being named a ‘Pathfinder’, raising the most money, having a strong grassroots network, and his military background are leading me to believe that he will be tough to beat in June.

Petrilla finished in first place in the 2010 Rancho Santa Margarita City Council race (impressively finishing ahead of 2 incumbents):

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA Member, City Council                                   
Number To Vote For: 3
Completed Precincts: 31 of 31
                 Vote Count                 Percentage                
JESSE PETRILLA 7,396 22.9%
STEVEN BARIC 6,915 21.4%
* GARY THOMPSON 6,843 21.2%
* NEIL C. BLAIS 6,823 21.1%
LAWRENCE (LARRY) MCCOOK 4,326 13.4%

* Indicates Incumbent Candidate, if any

Ironically, I believe that Wendy Gabriella will come in first in June due to the Republican vote being split amongst four candidates. Whoever emerges from this brutal primary will likely coast in the November election against Wendy Gabriella.

Posted in 73rd Assembly District | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Kelly Hubbard Makes False, Irresponsible Accusations Against Assemblyman Allan Mansoor

Posted by Walter Myers III on March 22, 2014

It has been a while since I posted, and my plan is to step things up during this election season. It is imperative that I let everyone know about the irresponsible and shameless hit job Tea Party member Kelly Hubbard has done on Assemblyman Allan Mansoor, which you can find here. Hubbard, in his support of Michelle Steele against Mansoor for the OC Board of Supervisors Second District race, capriciously charges Mansoor with racism at a recent Town Hall for actions that Hubbard calls “shameless and despicable” against one of Mansoor’s own constituents. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and for those of you who know Mansoor, you know he is a man of honor and integrity who has faithfully served his constituencies since his City Council days in Costa Mesa. The real story is that a woman asked Mansoor’s staffer Jose Martinez if he was an illegal immigrant, to which he replied in the negative. The woman didn’t stop there but then accused Martinez’s parents of being here illegally. Given this, you can see that Mansoor was simply defending his staff member from a baseless and bigoted attack, and rightfully so (which you can see in the video below). As many of you know, Mansoor is particularly sensitive to racism as a person of mixed ancestry. Mansoor would not hire an illegal immigrant, and just because he has shown compassion in the handling of illegal immigrants that are already here does not mean he would also knowingly break the law. He is a former law man, after all. And if there were any racism involved, it was the person who accosted Martinez about his immigration status, which is none of her business unless she had substantial proof he was here illegally. The burden of proof would be on her, not Martinez.

I believe the genesis of Hubbard’s ire against Mansoor is the fact that Mansoor was one of fifteen California Republican legislators to sign a letter, promoted by the Western Growers Association (WGA), to the CA California Congressional Delegation in support of comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Mansoor has publicly stated, and confirmed with me yesterday, that he regrets signing the letter and that he does not believe illegal immigrants should be able to gain a pathway to citizenship as a part of any immigration reform legislation. What Mansoor actually supports is the Lincoln Club immigration proposal (which you can find here) that calls for a path to legal status for existing illegal immigrants, but only after the border has been effectively secured and a properly functioning guest worker program has been constructed to prevent us from revisiting the same problem again in the future. The Lincoln Club immigration proposal intentionally does not address citizenship because its goal is to simply provide a realistic and compassionate resolution to the problem of illegal immigration.

I hope that you will stand with me in supporting Mansoor against these wanton and reckless allegations by Kelly Hubbard. I am a strong Tea Party advocate, but Hubbard is one of the people that gives the Tea Party the bad name that it does not deserve as a whole. Hubbard owes Mansoor an apology immediately.

Posted in 74th Assembly District | 9 Comments »

Live from CRA: Endorsements Part II

Posted by Chris Nguyen on March 22, 2014

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.

Posted in 34th Senate District, 39th Congressional District, 45th Congressional District, 46th Congressional District, 47th Congressional District, 48th Congressional District, 49th Congressional District, 65th Assembly District, 68th Assembly District, 69th Assembly District, 72nd Assembly District, Orange County Board of Education | 2 Comments »

Jose Solorio Plans On Giving Away $29 Million Dollars of Santa Ana College Funds To Special Interests This Monday (3/24/2014)!

Posted by Dave Everett on March 21, 2014

Jose Solorio Plans On Giving Away $29 Million Dollars of Santa Ana College Funds To Special Interests This Monday (3/24/2014)! This money should go to new buildings and improving conditions for our students, not to pay off Jose Solorio’s political donors. Worse yet, this special interest deal discriminates against over 80% of local construction workers in favor of Big Labor bosses and union companies from Los Angeles.

Jose Solorio Plans On Giving Away $29 Million Dollars of Santa Ana College Funds To Special Interests This Monday (3/24/2014)! This money should go to new buildings and improving conditions for our students, not to pay off Jose Solorio’s political donors. Worse yet, this special interest deal discriminates against over 80% of local construction workers in favor of Big Labor bosses and union companies from Los Angeles.

On Monday, March 21, 2014 at 4pm in Santa Ana, RSCCD Trustee Jose Solorio wants to give away $29 million dollars of Santa Ana College construction funds to special interests! The PLA is Item 4.2 on the RSCCD agenda and this is the final vote to approve this wasteful and discriminatory deal.

This money should go to new buildings and improving conditions for our students, not to pay off Jose Solorio’s political donors.

Worse yet, this special interest deal discriminates against over 80% of local construction workers in favor of Big Labor bosses and union companies from Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, we see this all too often when a politician wants to run for higher political office. The unspoken agreement is that Jose Solorio will vote to limit construction on the $198 million dollar Measure Q Bond passed in 2012 and in return Big Labor unions will shower his campaign for the 34th Senate District with political donations.

The loser in this wink-and-nod arrangement, are our Santa Ana students. According to http://www.BuildMoreSchools.com, a USC/National University study shows that these special interest deals, known as Project Labor Agreements or PLAs, increase the cost of school construction by 15%. That waste totals over $29 million dollars for Jose Solorio’s PLA on Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College.

Concerned students, teachers and taxpayers can do the following:
Attend the meeting Monday, March 21, 2014 at 4:00pm at the RSCCD District Offices located at 2323 North Broadway, Board Room #107 Santa Ana, CA 92706. We need you to tell the RSCCD Trustees to vote “No” on this PLA special interest deal.

Join us Monday, when we demand an end to this waste and discrimination! If you are able to attend or have any questions, please contact deverett@abcsocal.net.

[Dave Everett is the Government Affairs Director for the Associated Builders and Contractors in Southern California. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 70 chapters representing more than 22,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with nearly two million employees. For more information, visit http://www.abcsocal.org.]

Posted in 34th Senate District, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Santa Ana | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Repost: OC Political March Madness Pool 2014

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 19, 2014

UPDATE 3-19-2014: Tournament starts tomorrow. Get your brackets in today.

It is that time of year again. Much Madness is upon us and OC Political is offering a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card to the winner of our free pool. All we ask is that people use their real names in order to make it easier for us to reward the winner with the prize.

Congrats go out to last years winner Connor Duckworth. Can he pull a repeat again this year or will the champion be someone different.

Here are the instructions to enter the pool which we have set up through Yahoo!

Go to http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joingroup
Our Group ID # is 157582
Our Password is reagan

Let me know if you have any issues. We are looking forward to another fun-filled contest.

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Posted in Orange County, Uncategorized | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

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