Dems seeking viable contender

Alicia Robinson

If you’re a registered Democrat, if you’ve got at least half a

million dollars and you’re fond of being the underdog, give Frank

Barbaro a call.

In the next few weeks Barbaro, chairman of the Orange County

Democratic Party, will be looking for a candidate to put up against

whichever Republicans go after Rep. Chris Cox’s seat in Congress. Cox

is awaiting Senate confirmation after being nominated by President

Bush last week to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

An open seat is a rare chance for local Democrats, despite the

heavy Republican registration in the 48th Congressional district. The

district includes Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Irvine as well as

several South County cities such as San Juan Capistrano.

“I think this is the best opportunity we’re going to have in the

48th Congressional district,” Barbaro said. “It’s the best

opportunity we’ve had in a decade.”

So far John Graham, a UC Irvine international business professor

who has lost to Cox three times, is the only Democrat who has said

he’s mulling a run.

“There have been all kinds of people calling me and asking me who

I’m recruiting, and the answer is I haven’t started recruiting yet

because I haven’t see the lay of the land,” Barbaro said Tuesday.

The definite Republican contenders are state Sen. Dick Ackerman

from Irvine and Newport Beach’s Marilyn Brewer, who represented the

area in the state Assembly from 1994 to 2000.

A number of other Republicans are playing the same waiting game as

Barbaro. Local possibilities include Newport Beach Republican

Assembly President Kurt English, physician Don Udall of Newport

Beach, and Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector John Moorlach.

But those three Republicans said whether they’re in the race will

depend in part on who else is in it.

“I don’t know that I’d have a chance to win this one,” Udall said.

“I don’t have a lot of money to devote to it and raising funds is

really difficult, especially when you’re up against someone like

Ackerman.”

Udall’s main interest in the race is to bring up issues such as

tort reform and the medical treatment issues raised by Terri

Schiavo’s case.

Moorlach said at the moment he’s still focused on his pending 2006

run for Orange County Supervisor.

With a potentially large field of Republicans to face, the

Democrats’ best chance is to find a candidate with wide name

recognition and a proven ability to raise money, said UC Irvine

political scientist Mark Petracca.

“The reality is that this is a long shot because this is one of

the most Republican seats in the state,” he said. “But if you’re

going to have any chance at the district, this is the kind of

election you want.”

But even the details of the special election to fill Cox’s seat

are still up in the air. The governor can’t set a date until the seat

is officially vacant, which won’t happen until Cox is confirmed by

the Senate. A date for confirmation hearings has not been announced.

Barbaro estimated a Democrat will need between $500,000 and $1

million for a viable candidacy. Most of that may have to be raised

locally.

Although Orange County has a lot of wealthy Republicans, it also

gives scads of money to the state and national Democratic parties,

Petracca said, but they’re usually loathe to give much of it back.

“That’s the complaint that you’ll hear from any Democrat that’s

tried to run for office, that they just don’t get much support from

the state,” he said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at alicia.robinson

@latimes.com.