When a candidate runs for office with the right motives sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. But more often than not, candidates who run with the worst of intentions fail.
This was the case in the city of Orange where Newport Beach real estate agent Carol Rudat ran for city council in a city in which she did not live. Her motivation was to seek revenge on several of the council members (one of them who is now deceased) for firing her husband as city manager.
Rudat lost, badly.
Her chief opponent Denis Bilodeau (who won) by contrast is as planning commissioner in town, long time resident. His children go to local schools. He genuinely cares about the city and its residents.
Rudat, it has been suggested, actually ran the air conditioner in her Orange ‘residences’ all summer long–24/7 so that she could one day, if need be, show a judge that she and her husband really ‘lived’ there–"just look, we used this much power." How obnoxious. The funny thing is that I’ve her water bill in the Orange home she supposedly lived in only showed gallons in water use over the same several month period–nowhere near what a true residence would use.
Let this example be a great lesson to those motivated by hate or greed or some other devious desire. Genuine motivations are rewarded. Voters will see through disingenuous motivations and you will likely lose.
Congratulations Denis!
Lewis Consulting Group (Sen. John Lewis and Matt Holder) ran Bilodeau’s campaign. The Pacific West Association of Realtors through the California Real Estate PAC weighed in heavily for Bilodeu.