Senator decides on House run

Alicia Robinson

It’s official: Newport-Mesa Sen. John Campbell announced Friday that

he will run for Rep. Chris Cox’s seat in Congress.

Cox is awaiting Senate confirmation after President Bush last week

appointed him to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If Cox is confirmed, the governor will set a special election to

fill his congressional seat, which represents Newport Beach as well

as Laguna Beach and a number of South County cities.

Campbell, 49, of Irvine, is a former accountant for car

dealerships. He was Newport Beach’s assemblyman from 2000 until 2004,

when he won a state Senate seat.

His initial decision to not to seek Cox’s seat was a mistake, he

said.

“It happened so quickly. I should have given a few days to think

about it,” Campbell said Friday.

After saying last week that he wouldn’t run, Campbell on Wednesday

withdrew his endorsement of GOP colleague Sen. Dick Ackerman, who’s

running for the seat, and said he might run himself.

Campbell hoped to be tabbed to succeed Ackerman as Senate

Republican leader, but that hope was disappointed. That factored into

his decision to go for the House seat, but it wasn’t sour grapes,

Campbell said.

“In this Congressional race I will be a clear front-runner,”

Campbell said, but in the race for Senate leadership he wasn’t a

favorite.

So far Campbell, Ackerman and former Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer

of Newport Beach are the only definite contenders. A host of other

names, including Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector John Moorlach

of Costa Mesa and former state Sen. John Lewis, have surfaced as

potential candidates, but most are waiting to see what else happens

before they commit.

One immediate effect of Campbell’s candidacy is to raise the cost

of the race. Earlier estimates were about $1 million, but Campbell

said he’s prepared to spend $2 million, and he can fund much of that

himself.

It also could widen -- and possibly level -- the playing field.

Instead of a coronation of Ackerman with other Republicans

respectfully staying away, it’s going to open the floodgates, UC

Irvine political scientist Mark Petracca said.

Ackerman and Campbell would likely split the conservative vote,

but in the special primary election voters will be able to pick from

anyone on the ballot, so a moderate might skim non-Republican votes.

“It certainly increases the prospects for a Democrat running and

winning, and it increases the prospects for Marilyn Brewer,” Petracca

said.

The rapid changes in the week since Cox’s nomination for the SEC

post have taught some politicos to be more circumspect. Ackerman

rounded up a number of endorsements right away, including those of

Costa Mesa Assemblyman Van Tran and Newport Beach Assemblyman Chuck

DeVore, whose loyalties may now be tested.

Tran said Ackerman and Campbell are friends of his, so if Campbell

asks for an endorsement, “I don’t know what I would do as yet.”

A possible Campbell departure opens speculation on who might

succeed him in the Senate, but no one is ready to go there -- yet.

“That’s an interesting proposition,” Tran said. “It’s still very

early to make any decision as yet.”