The 60th Assembly District stretches From the Diamond Bar/Walnut area of Los Angeles County Down through parts of Northern Orange County to parts of Orange/Anaheim and takes in Chino Hills in San Bernardino County. FR contributor posted his views on the race in the OC blog. See it here.
Bob Huff represents the area now.
Currently there are three candidates mentioned and all will run as conservatives:
Curt Hagman is the first term councilman from Chino Hills. Adam Aleman profiled the first term councilman in FR. Read it here. People in Chino Hills do like him and he hasn’t created enemies within the San Bernardino power structure. Curt is a bails bondsman and I’m told could self fund at least some of the race.
He will have to if he gets in.
Diamond Bar resident and former head of the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club Mike Radlovic spent $300,000 when he ran in the old 60th and came in second to Bob Pacheco. I first met Mike almost 20 years ago when he was an alternate on the 60th Assembly District Central Committee. He definitely has the ability to self-fund above the $300K he spent last time. In that race Radlovic was beat up in that election for paying some taxes late.
While, I’m sure that will come up again, the good news for Radlovic is that we already know what dirt is out there on him. On the others we just don’t know. Maybe they are saints and there won’t be any?
Radlovic does have one leg up in the consulting area. My understanding is that if he runs, Jim Nygren will be handling the race. This was Huff’s consultant when he won the race four years ago and he knows the district well.
The other candidate is Larry Dick, a water board member from Orange County. He is on the all-powerful MWD. He is connected in the OC.
One drawback local candidates like water board members and city councilman have is that many times they get talked into voting for “fees” that look a lot like tax increases. I haven’t done the opposition research on anyone to know if it is there. But any endorsements of bonds or ‘Fees” could be a problem in this kind of heavily GOP district.
The conventional wisdom four years ago on this race was that the Orange County candidate would win. Orange County has the highest number of GOP voters. That simply didn’t happen even though there were TWO well-funded LA candidates in the race.
Geography is always a factor. However, it clearly didn’t mean victory in a district where people may live in Chino Hills, work in the OC and go to church in Diamond Bar. This is not a rural isolated district where geography by itself determines the out come.
Finally, FR Contributor Brandon Powers posted about rumors of another candidate that was looking to move into the area to run. See it here. I’ve heard the rumors too. The candidate would be the most conservative in the race. It would be me!
While I’m sure if I ran I could count on the Governor’s support, I am not moving into the district… yet.