If you are a denizen of the State Capitol and happen to come across State Senator Tom Harman, I’m quite certain there will be a broad smile on his face.
Today, Dana Point City Councilwoman Diane Harkey threw her hat into the ring for the 73rd State Assembly District GOP primary, in a bid to succeed Assemblywoman Mimi Walters in this safe Republican legislative district in south Orange County.
Harkey ran a valiant and conservative campaign against then Assemblyman Tom Harman in a special election when former State Senator John Campbell was elected to Congress in a special election to replace Christopher Cox, who was tapped by the President to head up the Securities and Exchange Commission (whew, that was a long sentence). Harman, who also ran on conservative themes won that special election, though it is clear to those of us who follow such things that Harman benefited (as he did in his first legislative election) from the ‘open primary’ nature of the election, where Democrats could cross over and vote for him.
Until today, it had been rumored that Mrs. Harkey was seriously considering a redux against Harman where, in a regular election, there would be no cross-party voting in the primary.
With Harkey’s announcement that she has decided to run for the Assembly, Harman’s prospects of facing a credible challenge in his election to a full term in the Senate are considerably improved.
Diane Harkey becomes the immediate front-runner in the race to follow Walters into this seat (Walters is running for State Senate, the seat where Senator Dick Ackerman is forced out due to term-limits). Harkey has name ID from her recent Senate run, a proven ability to self-fund (she is quite wealthy) and she today announced the support of the popular incumbent, Mimi Walters, as her Honorary Campaign Chairman.
Harkey will not have the field to herself. There are a number of other candidates looking at the race. I have spoken with businessman Jim Gibson, who hails from the San Diego part of this dual-county district. Gibson, an impressive conservative, ran a hard campaign the last time this seat was open, and managed to come in second, besting incumbent Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson, who placed third. Also said to be looking at this race is Laguna Niguel Councilman Paul Glaab. Glaab, if he gets into the race, becomes a very strong candidate indeed. He has toiled in the GOP vineyard for quite some time, and is very well respected in South County.
Early on, it looked as if newly-minted Laguna Niguel Councilwoman Linda Lindholm was going to take a shot at this seat — and our sources tell us that if she had run, she would have enjoyed the support of Walters, Harkey and Glaab. But she clearly decided not to run, and now — let the primary begin!
For those tracking such things, prominent Orange County consultant Scott Hart will provide overall consulting for Harkey, and he will partner with Sacramento-based Gilliard, Blanning, Wysocki and Associates. FR’s own Adam Probolsky will be handling polling services for the effort.