Cook, Kalmick become Dem front-runners

The Democratic race to challenge Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has narrowed to between Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook and small business owner Dan Kalmick, following the announcement that two of their rivals would drop out of the race.

OCC professor Richard Lara and conservative Democratic activist Alan Schlar said they left the race to attend to familial illnesses, though Schlar pledged to run for the nomination again in 2010.

The former rivals threw their support behind 25-year-old Kalmick, saying he was the party’s best chance to beat Rohrabacher in a general election, arguing Cook was too liberal and divisive to have a fighting chance in the conservative district.

Cook disagreed, however, pointing to what she saw as a perceptible change in Rohrabacher’s approach to the election season.

“I think the best judge of that argument is to look at what Rohrabacher is doing this year,” she said. “This is the first time he’s actually campaigned — he’s sending out daily press releases, showing up to events he never has before. [My campaign] is enough to get him to do something, for the first time ever.”

Kalmick said he was pleased with the endorsements, noting that it further validated a campaign that many may have written off because of his young age and would allow him to draw clearer distinctions between Cook and himself.

“It happens — you’re a 25-year-old running for Congress and people think, ‘Oh, he figured out how to fill out the paper work,’ ” he joked. “But then people start hearing me talk about the issues, and I think it really resonates with people. We’re in this for the long haul.”

Kalmick and Schlar criticized Cook for what they said was an overemphasis on environmental protections that overshadowed her concern for people. Both criticized remarks she made during an interview at the Assn. for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas’ convention in 2006, saying that lower fuel prices would be “the worst thing that could happen” in regards to the world’s energy and climate crisis.

“Even if I don’t drive, put a turbine on my roof and don’t use lights, my deliveries still have gas surcharges, so the cost of business is going up,” he said. “I’d put solar panels on my house if I could afford it, but it’s clear that [high gas prices] are affecting everyone’s pocketbook.”

Cook dismissed the criticisms, saying her opponents missed the point of her environmental advocacy.

“Humans do not live outside of their environment,” she pointed out. “We can all stick our heads in the sand if we want to, but that won’t solve the problem. I plan to keep educating people about our energy policy.”

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.