County reimbursed for special election

Orange County will be reimbursed about $1.3 million, the full amount spent for an April special primary election that was Huntington Beach Republican Tom Harman’s first step to a state senate seat.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for the election in December, after then-35th District Sen. John Campbell won the House seat left open by Newport Beach Rep. Chris Cox’s move to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 35th District includes Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

Anaheim Democratic Assemblyman Tom Umberg announced Friday that the governor recently signed his bill to reimburse Orange County as well as San Diego County, which held a special election in April to replace Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

Umberg wrote the bill because counties weren’t covered after the 2005 expiration of a 1993 law requiring the state to reimburse them for state or federal special elections, Umberg spokesman George Urch said.

Orange County’s April special senate election cost $1,286,690, Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley said.

Harman won the April primary and then a June election that was consolidated with the regular statewide primary.