Harman, Silva may swap seats

Jenny Marder

While Assemblyman Tom Harman can’t be losing much sleep over this

year’s reelection campaign, all signs point to a tougher battle in

2006 when he plans to run for county supervisor.

His decision could result in a swap between two of Orange

County’smost influential politicians, as Supervisor Jim Silva, who

will be termed out in 2006, said he may seek Harman’s Assembly seat.

Harman, who is running for reelection to the 67th Assembly

District, has announced that he plans to seek the supervisor’s seat

when he’s termed out of office in 2006. Harman was first elected to

the state Assembly in 2000 and reelected in 2002.

Silva was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in

1994 and reelected in 1998 and in 2002.

Both are former Huntington Beach mayors.

Harman said he hopes to return to local government, where work is

more hands on and goals more often realized.

“In local government, you have an actual hands-on type of

experience, where you can do something and see it happen,” Harman

said. “You can say we need to have to have this type of a program or

have a bridge across this river, a park here or a water improvement

plan here ... . I think it will be more rewarding to serve on the

board and see things happen a little better.”

As a member of the minority party in Sacramento, Harman said he

has been discouraged by the paltry success rate of Republican

policies at the state level.

“I’m frustrated over the fact that Republican policies and ideas

are not acted upon,” Harman said. “They’re thrown out the window in a

very rude and crude fashion sometimes.”

Silva said it was premature to comment on plans for the 2006

Assembly race, but he did concede that there’s a strong possibility

that he’ll run.

“I’ve still got three years and two months to go as county

supervisor,” Silva said. “But I know the seat will be available and

I’m still very strongly considering.”

The swap wouldn’t be the first time two politicians in Orange

County exchanged seats. Assemblyman Todd Spitzer and Supervisor Bill

Campbell essentially did the same a year ago in the county’s 3rd

District. First Spitzer won the Assembly race -- Campbell had been

termed out -- and then Campbell won the race to replace Spitzer.

Harman’s 67th Assembly District includes the cities of Huntington

Beach, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, La Palma

and Rossmoor.

For the 2004 election, Harman is squaring off against Libertarian

and two-time City Council candidate Norm Westwell and Democrat David

Silva, a retired postal worker.

Westwell’s primary goal is to reduce government.

“I am a firm believer in smaller government,” Westwell said. “Our

current legislators don’t seem to be headed in that direction....

They’re too focused on environmental issues such as the Bolsa Chica

and not focused enough on the spending crisis.”

If reelected, Harman said one of his main goals next term will be

to improve the business climate in California, which he said has been

stifled by a liberal state government.

“We need to work to make California more business friendly, expand

the job base and increase high paying jobs to try to turn the economy

around,” Harman said. “I’m very concerned about all of the job killer

bills passed in Sacramento under a very liberal government. People

need to start realizing that jobs are what drive this state. If we’re

losing jobs to Arizona and Texas, we’re going to be in deep, deep

trouble.”

* JENNY MARDER covers City Hall. She can be reached at (714)

965-7173 or by e-mail at [email protected].