Political players could change

Dave Brooks

The pending appointment of Rep. Chris Cox to the Securities and

Exchange Commission has created a power vacuum in Orange County

politics that could reach all the way down to the Huntington Beach

City Council.

Last month, President Bush nominated Cox to head the government’s

corporate watchdog, setting off a string of hypothetical scenarios

that could end with one of Huntington Beach’s most popular City

Council members vacating her spot for a seat on the Orange County

Board of Supervisors.

If everything goes as planned -- a rarity in politics -- here’s

how Cathy Green might end up replacing Jim Silva to represent Orange

County’s 2nd District: Cox survives the Senate confirmation process,

avoids filibusters from the Democratic Caucus, and is appointed to

head the SEC. John Campbell, state senator of the 35th District would

then run for Cox’s seat, facing challenges from Newport Beach

Assemblywoman Marilyn C. Brewer and former Rep. Bob Dornan.

In the event Campbell wins the special election, and his seat

becomes vacated, Huntington Beach Assemblyman Tom Harman has said he

would run for Campbell’s seat. Harman would likely face Orange County

GOP Chairman and former Assemblyman Scott Baugh.

Now here’s where things get iffy -- if Harman were to win the

Senate seat, he would drop plans to run for Silva’s seat.

Coincidentally, Silva plans to run against Harman’s wife Diane in the

fall to fill Harman’s vacated Assembly seat.

With Harman out of the race, the field opens up for a new

candidate to challenge Treasurer-Tax Collector John Moorlach. Green

says she is weighing running for Silva’s seat -- with or without Tom

Harman in the race -- and would likely make a decision by September.

Running for a supervisor seat would mean leaving her beloved Surf

City, a move Green isn’t sure she’s ready to make.

“I feel like I’ve made a lot of changes in the city and I just

don’t see where I can do that in the county yet,” she said. “But a

lot of people have come to me and said ‘Let me show you where you can

make the changes.’”

Green is a prominent Huntington Beach Republican and member of the

Orange County GOP. Besides receiving the most votes in the 2002 City

Council election, Green also serves on the board of directors for the

Orange County Transportation Authority and several other county

agencies.

“It’s difficult to really know what anybody’s chances are until we

have a complete field,” Baugh said, adding that her strongest asset

would be “her deep ties to the Huntington Beach community and her

years of serving there.”

All her connections, however, might not be able to overcome

Moorlach, 49, who has already racked up 110 endorsements including

one from Cox. Moorlach became famous a decade ago after forecasting

the county’s unprecedented bankruptcy and is piling up political

capital now that the county is facing a pension-related fiscal crisis

and possible deficit of $2.34 billion.

“I would run a very positive campaign,” Green said. “My decision

to run would have nothing to do with who I am running against.”