The Political Landscape:

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore has found a worthy opponent in former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina.

Fiorina formally announced Wednesday that she would battle DeVore in the California Republican primary in June for a chance to unseat U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat.

“I believe big change is not impossible, but it does require leadership, innovative thinking, teamwork and tackling the most obvious and pressing problems first,” Fiorina said in a written statement. “My campaign is going to be about solutions that work for the people of California ... ”

On Wednesday, DeVore said he welcomes the challenge, but questioned whether Fiorina, a moderate, would be able to win votes from the more conservative wing of the Republican party.

“A moderate will get you to the same place as a liberal, but it will take you twice as long to get there,” DeVore said.

While happy about the media attention Fiorina has injected, DeVore said he’s not intimidated by her vast personal wealth and name recognition.

“She’s fairly well-known, but the two of us are basically level, because we’re talking about two different wings of the Republican party,” DeVore said.

DeVore is banking on support from his grass-roots, online fundraising efforts and intense stumping across the state to carry him through the primary.

He estimates he’s already driven about 19,000 miles across the state, campaigning.

NO REGRETS FOR FAIR CHAIR

The Orange County Fair and Event Center Foundation, which formed to raise funds and buy the Orange County Fairgrounds, has received a lot of heat from people, who have raised questions about the six-member fairground board’s duplicate role as the foundation’s trustees.

In an interview, Kristina Dodge, chairwoman of both boards, was asked if she regrets supporting the sale of the fairgrounds and forming the foundation. Her answer was: “Not yet. I don’t feel that way yet.”

Dodge said that she genuinely believes the fairgrounds should remain the way it is and insisted that she does not care who buys the fairgrounds, as long as it remains a fair and exposition center. She expressed regret at not being able to convince everyone about the foundation’s goal. She said she hopes all those in favor of the fair can gather behind the foundation to make it stronger.