Lots of money riding on district’s supervisor race

It’s the race that covers perhaps the fewest voters in Newport-Mesa, but the battle for the 5th District seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors has proven to be a bitter and expensive one.

Cathryn DeYoung and Pat Bates, both with homes on the same block in Laguna Niguel and both Republicans, are duking it out in a war of pricey pamphlets to replace termed out Republican Tom Wilson as supervisor for what he calls the “fabulous fifth” district.

As of Oct. 21, according to the county registrar’s website, Bates has spent $1.2 million and reported donations of $937,000. DeYoung, who has deeper pockets, has spent $2.87 million from donations of $3.38 million.

“This is the most expensive supervisorial race in the history of the United States,” claimed Sergio Prince, Bates’ campaign manager. “It is an anomaly because Cassie DeYoung has unlimited funds.”

If DeYoung has superior funding, Bates has the support of the organized Republican Party, appealing to conservative voters.

“South County is the most Republican area of Orange County, which is the most Republican county in the country,” Prince said. “So having the party endorsement is beneficial.”

DeYoung is looking for support from disenchanted Republicans, crossover Democrats and environmentalists.

“My campaign is focused on law enforcement and protecting the environment,” DeYoung said.

Wilson has thrown his support to DeYoung, with whom he worked on environmental issues as a member of the Orange County Coastal Coalition, a group of local elected officials, which he founded, and against a commercial airport at the former U. S. Marine Air Base in El Toro.

DeYoung opposes the construction of a tunnel from the Inland Empire to Orange County, which Laguna’s council has condemned as it did the proposed El Toro commercial airport, and is a longtime supporter of Measure M, to provide funding for traffic and circulation improvements, which the council unanimously endorses.

Bates is supported by the Orange County Taxpayers Assn. Political Action Committee (PAC), the California Republican Assembly, the South Orange County Republican Assembly, a raft of Republicans in state and federal elected offices and the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriff PAC.

DeYoung — a former county Deputy District Attorney who claims a 90% conviction rate — said she cut her own throat with the deputy sheriffs. When asked by union representatives for her position on public employee benefits, she told them she would not support unfunded benefits, which she calculates is about $3.3 billion.

“It’s all about pensions,” DeYoung said.

DeYoung does claim support from the county firefighters, but said she has not accepted any donations from them, which she perceives as a conflict of interest.

“She will say that Pat [Bates] gets funding from special interests,” Prince said. “And she will say she is funding her own campaign, but she is her own special interest.”

At one time, DeYoung and Bates appeared to be on good terms.

“She nominated me as Woman of the Year in 2004 for my efforts to improve public transportation in the county,” DeYoung said. “When I filed for the supervisor’s race, she was an announced candidate for the state senate. Then, on the eve of my kick-off fundraiser, she told me she was running for supervisor.”

They share common interests, if not common solutions. DeYoung is sitting mayor of Laguna Niguel. Bates served as the first mayor of the city when it was incorporated in 1989 and served on the council until she was elected to state office.

During her terms on the council, Bates chaired the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency board of directors and was vice-chair of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, which successfully grounded plans for a commercial airport at the former El Toro U.S. Marine Corps Air Base.

DeYoung served on the Orange County Transportation Board and took a leadership role in the fight against the airport. She is supported by Bill Kogerrman, who chaired all four anti-airport campaigns.

Bates was elected in 1998 to represent the 73rd Assembly District. While in Sacramento, she served as vice-chair of the Assembly Appropriations and Assembly Health Committee, and was the founding chair of the Republican Women’s Caucus, which is reaching out to California women to become more involved in public decision making. She also served on the Little Hoover Commission and was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Performance Review Commission, which makes recommendations on state government reforms and operations.