House race candidates get support

For two Republican candidates hoping to replace Rep. Chris Cox,

Monday was a day of dueling endorsements -- former Assemblywoman

Marilyn Brewer announced that she’s backed by Arizona Sen. John

McCain, and state Sen. John Campbell got an endorsement from Orange

County’s Lincoln Club.

Although more candidates could still jump in, the Lincoln Club

chose not to wait because Campbell, a former club member, was an

exceptional candidate who represents the group’s principles of

limiting government and supporting business, Lincoln Club President

Richard Wagner said.

“We think he did an exceptional job as an assembly member; we

think he’s doing a fine job as a state senator; and we think this is

his race,” Wagner said.

McCain is still working out details for a Brewer fundraiser, but

the senator’s endorsement “is a done deal,” said Ken Khachigian, a

key McCain advisor in California.

Brewer campaigned for McCain here when he ran for president in

2000.

“John’s loyal to his friends,” Khachigian said.

Both candidates downplayed each other’s endorsements, as they did

with recent polls that showed the other leading the race to replace

Cox.

The Lincoln Club is no longer as powerful as it used to be, Brewer

said, and no one interviewed her before the decision was made.

“There was no choice. It was not an open and fair process,” she

said.

Asked if McCain’s endorsement will carry much weight, Campbell

said, “Since John McCain doesn’t represent California or any part of

California, I’m not sure that it does.”

The New Majority, a moderate Republican fundraising group, has not

yet made an endorsement but in July interviewed Brewer and Campbell.

The special primary election, which has yet to be scheduled, will

be at least a four-way battle among the two Republicans and two

Democrats.

UC Irvine business professor John Graham, who lost three previous

challenges to Cox, said Monday he’s definitely in the race and plans

to officially announce his candidacy Wednesday.

He’ll face Newport Beach attorney Steve Young, a Democrat who came

back to the party after registering Republican to help former Rep.

Ron Packard campaign.

Former Rep. Bob Dornan, a Republican, still hasn’t decided if he’s

running but plans to make up his mind within a week.

Others could still join the field, making it even tougher for

voters to choose. The election will be an open primary, so people can

pick any candidate, regardless of party registration.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must call the special election within

14 days of Cox’s resignation, which Cox has said will come today. If

the governor gets the election scheduled this week, the primary will

likely be held Oct. 4, with a general election Nov. 29 if no

candidate takes more than 50% of the primary votes.

In Graham’s opinion, the more people who run for the seat, the

better it will be for voters. But he’s worried about turnout, which

is usually low for special elections.

“A Democrat can win this, and the strategy is very simple: It’s to

get Democrats to vote,” Graham said. “One of the themes of my

campaign will be to show up.”

He’ll also talk about foreign relations and the Iraq war -- which

he opposed -- and his campaign may touch on what he believes is the

danger posed by a nuclear reactor on the UCI campus, an issue he used

to assail Cox -- albeit unsuccessfully -- during the 2004 campaign.

In an earlier interview, Dornan said his campaign issues would

likely include illegal immigration and runaway federal spending. He

had considered running on the American Independent Party ticket, but

he said Monday that’s out of the question.

“It’s as a Republican or not at all,” he said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at alicia.robinson@

latimes.com.