Harman, Righeimer vie for Republican slot

Eron Ben-Yehuda

Much like the Republican presidential campaign, the primary race for the

local state Assembly seat matches a traditional conservative against a

maverick.

Huntington Beach City Councilman Tom Harman and Fountain Valley

businessman John Righeimer are vying for the right to run for the 67th

District opening.

Righeimer, 41, enjoys the support of county Republican leaders, including

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and sitting Assemblyman Scott

Baugh (R-Huntington Beach), who is vacating the seat because of term

limits.

The political establishment is turning its back on Harman, 58, who said

he considers himself an “independent” fighting against an

“ultraconservative, right-wing Republican.”

Even so, Harman has built a loyal following that shares his more liberal

views on issues such as the environment, gun control and abortion.

“He is a breath of fresh air,” Huntington Beach Planning Commissioner Bob

Biddle, a fellow Republican, has said.

Rohrabacher disagrees.

“If you look at all the fundamental issues, Harman is on the wrong side,

and Jim is on the right side,” he said.

While Harman is a prominent local figure because of his five-year stint

on the council, Righeimer has also had an impact on local politics --

with mixed results.

Righeimer, who owns a property management company, has lost two campaigns

for school boards. He ran for the Orange County Board of Education in

1995 and the Coastline Community College board in 1996.

He spoke out forcefully in 1995 at public meetings against Measure R, a

proposed sales tax to pay off part of the county’s bankruptcy debt that

was voted down. He also helped write Proposition 226, a failed attempt in

1998 to require unions to get approval from its members before spending

dues on politics.

But there’s no substitute for holding elected office, which has eluded

Righeimer, his opponent points out.

“It gives me the experience to step up to the next level,” Harman said.

One of the most important issues for Harman is how to control urban

runoff, which many believe contributed to the beach contamination that

forced the closure of more than four miles of shoreline last summer. Much

of the untreated waste water comes from inland cities. Harman wants to

push for state legislation that would make them accountable.

“It’s not fair for the district to bear the brunt of pollution problems,”

he said.

Education is the No. 1 priority for Righeimer, who said he will fight to

ensure the district, as part of the county, receives more state school

funds. Compared to Los Angeles and San Francisco, this county is

shortchanged, he said.

Because the district is heavily Republican, whoever wins the GOP primary

is expected to breeze to a November victory. Democrat Andy Hilbert and

Libertarian Autumn Browne are running unopposed.