Senate race has a local flavor

Name recognition in Huntington will help Tom Harman’s state Senate campaign, but it may not be enough to defeat Harkey.It’s the biggest city in the district and can make or break any candidacy.

Nearly a quarter of the voters in the 35th state Senate district live in Huntington Beach, making it an obvious battleground in the April 11 special election between local Assemblyman Tom Harman and Dana Point City Councilwoman Diane Harkey. Both are vying to replace John Campbell, who was recently elected to the House of Representatives to replace Chris Cox after he gave up his seat to become the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Senate district runs from Cypress down the coast to Dana Point and includes all of Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach and most of Irvine. Political insiders are calling the contest a battle of name recognition versus party support and a possible test of the Orange County GOP’s electoral clout.

The biggest Republican names in the county -- including Campbell, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Sheriff Mike Carona -- have thrown their support behind Harkey, while Harman continues to enjoy strong name recognition in north Orange County, especially Huntington Beach, which he has served on the City Council and in the state Assembly for 12 years.

“I will concede an edge to Tom [Harman] based on name recognition, but that’s it,� Huntington Beach City Councilman and Republican Don Hansen said, arguing that many in the party are becoming disillusioned with Harman.

Some bad memories still exist from Harman’s first election to the state assembly in March 2000, a victory partially attributed to the state’s ill-fated attempt to allow open primaries. Opponent Jim Righeimer received 2,837 more Republican votes than Harman, but he lost because Harman received more primary votes from members of other parties, including Democrats.

With the first round of voting less than two months away, Harkey has been pounding the pavement to get her name out and rack up endorsements, while Harman has been relatively silent about his prospects.

“She’s doing what an unknown candidate is suppose to do,� Harman said. “She started early. I’m not going to start early. I don’t need to. It would be a waste of money.�

With the cities of Cypress, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and parts of unincorporated Orange County in his constituency, Harman represents about 40% to 50% of the Senate district, while Harkey now represents only about 4% of voters, according to figures from the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Campbell said that Harkey can win without taking Huntington Beach, but she can’t ignore it either.

“Its just 25% of the district, so there’s still 75% available to win,� he said, later adding, “But can she win if she ignores Huntington Beach? No. I don’t think so.�

Hoping to change some of the balance, Harkey spent the weekend campaigning in Huntington Beach with help from Hansen.

“We’re going to be very active in Huntington Beach; we’re not going to concede it,� she said.

By raking up new endorsements and promoting herself as a mainstream Republican ready to crack down on illegal immigration and repair the state budget, Harkey can make up for her gap in name recognition, Hansen said.

“I would say the momentum in the race is all Diane [Harkey],� he said. He later added, “Issues like illegal immigration and fiscal conservatives are on the mind of Huntington Beach people.�

She also plans to launch an aggressive campaign to send targeted political literature to voters. Harkey said she planned to spend about $800,000 in the election, including $400,000 to $500,000 of her own money. She’s already raised about $150,000 since she began developing her candidacy in October.

“This campaign will live and die by its mail program,� county GOP boss Scott Baugh said. “With nearly a million people living in the district, you just can’t get to know everyone.�

Many are now wondering if Harman will be able to keep up. An official with Harman’s campaign estimated the assemblyman had about $280,000 in available campaign funds.

Harman is expected to try to raise another $300,000 and will work on targeting absentee voters, who often vote by mail during special elections. As for the endorsements Harkey is lining up, Harman said he is undeterred.

“If you look at who they are, frankly, some of them are people I wouldn’t want,� he said.

* DAVE BROOKS covers City Hall. He can be reached at (714) 966-4609 or by e-mail at [email protected].