Harman beats Democrat in Assembly bid

Torus Tammer

Huntington Beach City Councilman Tom Harman was jubilant this week as

he recorded an overwhelming GOP victory in the 67th Assembly District

race, swamping his Democratic and Libertarian opponents by a 2-1 margin.

Harman finished with 61.6%, which worked out to 82,134 votes. Harman

more then doubled the tally of his two competitors. Democrat Andy Hilbert

finished with 30.7%, or 40,967 votes, and Libertarian Autumn Brown came

in at 7.4%, or 9,933 votes.

Harman said he spent Tuesday night “taking it easy” at Republican

headquarters in Newport Beach.

“I was very encouraged by the support of the voters,” Harman said. “I

am looking forward to representing the constituents of the 67th

District.”

Democrat Andy Hilbert also had a mellow Tuesday evening, spending his

time at the Disneyland Hotel with other candidates and grass-roots

supporters. Although defeated, Hilbert said he looks forward to

continuing to work hard toward one day becoming an assemblyman.

“I feel real good about things,” Hilbert said. “Not only did we pull

the Democratic registration, I learned a lot and am looking forward to

applying what I learned in the next run around.”

Harman, who left for Sacramento on Wednesday, said he has a lot of

work to do and that his first official business as an assemblyman will be

helping to select a new leader of the Assembly Republican caucus.

Harman will replace Scott Baugh, the GOP’s minority leader in the

state Assembly, who could not run again because of term limits.

Baugh took office in a bitter recall election in 1995, unseating late

Republican Assemblywoman Doris Allen, who enraged party officials by

making a deal with Democrats to become speaker of the Assembly.

Baugh’s race later came under scrutiny by then Dist. Atty. Mike

Capizzi, who alleged the assemblyman used illegal election tactics. Baugh

was eventually cleared of the charges.

Harman’s race for Assembly also started with controversy after he

defeated Baugh-supported candidate Jim Righeimer in the March primary.

Righeimer, a longtime local Realtor and political activist, filed suit

against the federal government, contending the race was skewed and his

constitutional rights were violated because of California’s open primary

law that allowed Democrats to vote for the Republican candidate.

Righeimer’s suit was later thrown out of federal court.