The Political Landscape:

Steven Craig, president and chief executive of Craig Realty Group, the company whose $56.5-million bid topped the Jan. 14 auction of the Orange County Fairgrounds, formally introduced himself to the Costa Mesa City Council during Tuesday’s council meeting.

Craig said that he and the council members share the same vision for the 150-acre fairgrounds.

He said he hopes to improve its operations, but did not say how he plans to do so.

Craig also had a request for the council members:

“We hope we are not demonized as part of the process,” he said. “We did not set into motion the situation the state put us in.”

The state is looking to sell not only the fairgrounds, but other properties as well to help reduce its budget deficit, Craig said.

“The state is attempting to raise money,” he said. “We can argue about how much the money will take care of the problem ...”

The council members, however, would like to see the sale of the fairgrounds stopped.

The state still has the option to reject Craig’s offer and keep the fairgrounds under its ownership.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley will be traveling to Sacramento today to testify before the California Assembly’s appropriation committee in support of Assembly Bill 1590, which attempts to stop the sale of the fairgrounds.

FORMER IRVINE MAYOR HOSTS FOOD DRIVE IN CAMPAIGN

Congressional hopeful Beth Krom is hosting a food drive this weekend to “can” Rep. John Campbell.

Krom, a former Irvine mayor, hopes to collect at least 1,000 cans of food for local food banks in an effort she’s calling “Let’s Can Campbell.”

Krom will host meet and greet events in 12 Orange County cities as part of the event. Supporters can donate canned goods at each event.

Locally, Krom will make an appearance from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday at the home of Susan Kopicki, 511 El Modena Ave., in Newport Beach.

SENATE HOPEFUL DEVORE IN LAST PLACE IN POLL

The latest poll numbers show that Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer will face a tough reelection bid in November, but local Senate hopeful Assemblyman Chuck DeVore is in last place in a four-way race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters shows Boxer in a dead heat with former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina. Boxer leads Fiorina, a Republican, by just three points, or 46% to 43%, according to the new numbers.

The poll also shows former Congressman Tom Campbell stacking up well to Boxer.

Campbell quit his bid for the governor’s seat last week to jump into the senate race.

Boxer beat Campbell by only four points in the poll, or by 44% to 42%.

That leaves DeVore.

Boxer beat the Irvine assemblyman 46% to 40% in the poll, but DeVore is showing better than in previous polls.

Two months ago, Boxer had a 10-point lead on DeVore, or 49% to 39%.

Before facing off with Boxer in the general election, Fiorina, Campbell and DeVore must do battle in the June Republican primary.

DeVore has theorized that Campbell and Fiorina will probably split the moderate wing of the party in the primary, leaving him to pick up all of the conservative votes.