Paul Clinton Anita Ferguson zipped out to...

Paul Clinton

Anita Ferguson zipped out to Balboa Island on Thursday to

distribute a few voter pamphlets for the Grand Old Party.

By 2 p.m., she was back at the Republican headquarters at 901

Dover Drive, ready for another assignment. As the nerve center for

Republican activity this year in Newport-Mesa, the headquarters has

been buzzing with activity, with less than a week before election

day.

Ferguson’s enthusiasm for Tuesday’s election were a dramatic

contrast to voters’ indifference to this year’s races. In her own

conversations, she has noticed that it seems higher this year than in

other election years, she said.

“It’s very quiet out there,” Ferguson said. “The apathy -- it’s

unbelievable.”

Yet, Ferguson is still standing by her man -- Republican

gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon. She said she is “optimistic” he

can still win.

A Los Angeles Times poll released Tuesday showed Gov. Gray Davis

leading Simon 45% to 36%.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Ferguson walked precincts in her

Eastbluff neighborhood. At about 40 blocks apiece, one precinct per

day was more than enough to occupy a solid portion of her day.

Ferguson, the wife of former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson, is doing

her bit to help elect conservatives to Congress, the state

Legislature and even judgeships, which are not partisan.

But she isn’t alone. A loyal cadre of Republican women has been

burning up phone lines, stuffing envelopes and doing anything else

needed to help their candidates.

“We work for all Republicans,” said Jo Miller, the co-chairman of

the headquarters. “We do folding, sticking, walking, mailing. We do

anything the Republican Party tells us to do.”

Miller and Sue Strenger, who both live in Newport-Mesa, are

jointly running the modest-sized headquarters building, which served

as a travel agency until August.

The office, being funded by the Newport Harbor Republican Women,

came complete with desks, tables and other furniture.

The women have divided the office into several sections, including

a “precinct room,” with maps of areas in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa

and Santa Ana Heights tacked to the walls.

A life-sized cutout of President Bush stands watch over the room.

In another corner of the office, the women have set up a

phone-banking area with five lines. Miller, on Thursday, cajoled a

party representative to bring her another line.

On Saturday, the women will call registered voters in an effort to

“get out the vote.” That effort will intensify up until Tuesday, when

volunteers will check the lists at polling locations and call voters

who haven’t shown up.

Elaine Park, a Newport Beach resident and the group’s president,

also expressed confidence about Simon’s chances.

“I think he has an excellent chance because of the disenfranchised

Democrats,” Park said. “I hope they stay home. This is feverish

time.”

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment and politics. He may be

reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at paul.clinton@latimes.com.