34th Senate race likely to get heated, expensive

[question everything]

Thursday, January 26, 2006

34th Senate race likely to get heated, expensive

With two candidates vying for each party's nomination and voters nearly evenly split, fight will draw statewide interest.

By HANH KIM QUACH
The Orange County Register

(snip)

In an era when most seats in the Legislature are securely Republican or Democrat, the spot that Joseph Dunn, D-Santa Ana, will vacate this year because of term limits is truly up for grabs. Why? Because voters from each party are nearly equal in number.

Republicans and Democrats are – prepared to spend up to $10 million to woo the district's 280,000 voters – about 10 times the usual amount for a competitive seat. Democrats want to hold onto the prize they've held since 1998. "It's one we can ill afford to lose and one we shouldn't lose," said county Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro.

Republicans want to take back what they lost, and increase GOP clout in a Democratic-controlled Legislature. Now, Republicans control 15 of 40 seats in the state Senate, not enough to matter on many bills.

(snip)

With two Democrats and two Republicans fighting for their parties' nominations, the battle has already begun. Competing for the seat are Assembly members Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana; Lynn Daucher, R-Brea; Van Tran, R-Westminster, and Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa, a Democrat and former assemblyman.

(snip)

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_967489.php

[xxqqqzme]

1. Lou needs to pay attention

to his county supervisor position. He has more power there NOW than he will ever have in the state senate. Of course he has t2 actually work as a county supervisor. In the state senate, he can snooze away.