Dropout candidate keeps some support

Despite dropping out of the Newport Beach City Council race Tuesday, Barbara Venezia’s name will remain on the ballot — and some supporters said they’ll still vote for her.

When Venezia announced she was quitting the race, she cited nasty politics as the reason — like recent questions about whether she would have a financial conflict if she were elected.

Tustin attorney Mark Bucher sent a Sept. 20 letter to Newport Beach City Attorney Robin Clauson asking for an investigation into whether Venezia and her husband’s financial interest in Rainbow Disposal, which has a franchise agreement with the city, would cause a conflict. Venezia said no conflict existed, but Clauson declined to research the matter unless Venezia won a council seat.

Venezia was running against appointed incumbent Leslie Daigle for the District 4 council seat.

With absentee ballots starting to go to voters Monday, it’s too late to take Venezia’s name off, Orange County Registrar of Voters spokesman Brett Rowley said.

What would happen if Venezia were to win the election is unclear. Newport Beach City Clerk LaVonne Harkless said she’s not sure, and she doesn’t remember a situation like this in her 11 years with the city.

It is clear, however, that Venezia will get votes. People like Lisa Winter, who lives on Balboa Island, said they’ll still check Venezia’s name when casting a ballot.

“I think she’s articulate. I think she’s not afraid to speak her mind and stir the pot a little bit if things need to be done around here,” Winter said. “She’s definitely different, and I think she’s right that we don’t always get the best and the brightest because they don’t want to put up with the bull.”

Newport Coast resident Leonardo Flores, who held a fundraiser for Venezia earlier, said he thinks she has integrity and would make an honest council member.

“No matter what, I will vote for Barbara in November,” he said.

Venezia said she’s not asking people to vote for her, but if they want to that’s fine. Supporters even called her Wednesday asking for more yard signs, she said.

But she’s not sure whether she would take office if she wins the election, she said.

“I’d take it one day at a time,” she said. “Right now I’m just getting past this.”

Daigle said losing her only opponent won’t change her campaign.

“My campaign has always been about taking messages to the voters,” about preventing growth at John Wayne Airport, improving water quality and other big issues in Newport, she said.

Daigle continued to avoid the allegation of Venezia’s potential conflict.

“I didn’t raise it [the issue], and I declined to comment on it,” Daigle said.

Venezia said she hopes the message people get out of her withdrawal from the race is “the fact that people have gone complacent. We accept bad behavior” as the status quo in politics, she said. “I decided I didn’t want to take that.”