H.B. mayor touts energy saving in run against rep.

Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook is planning a run against Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in November.

Cook cited the faltering economy, global warming, rising costs of healthcare and the war in Iraq as some of the major problems facing the country. She called for bipartisan solutions.

While Cook no doubt faces an uphill battle in the strongly Republican district, the mayor trumpeted her commitment to public service, saying she believes “the best and most creative solutions” come from elected officials who are close to their constituents at the local level.

“I am passionate about getting this country out of this quagmire we seem to be in on so many fronts,” she said.

Cook has just begun her eighth year on the Huntington Beach City Council, with her second term finishing up shortly after the November election.

As mayor of Huntington Beach, Cook has called for a comprehensive plan to cut energy usage. She is chairwoman of the Energy and Environment Committee for the Southern California Assn. of Governments, as well as a board member of the Assn. for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas, and she holds a degree in earth science from Cal State Long Beach.

— Chris Caesar and Michael Alexander