While it has been talked about widely as a possibility, ace OC Register Political Reporter Martin Wisckol has written that Linda Ackerman has announced her candidacy ‘- by text message! That’s a first! This matches up with our solid FR sources confirm that tomorrow, Linda Ackerman will more "officially: announce her candidacy for the 72nd Assembly District 
seat left vacant with the abrupt resignation of ex-Assemblyman Mike Duvall.
While many know the "Ackerman" name through the lengthy and storied political career of her husband, Dick (who served in the Assembly and Senator, in the latter chamber as Republican Leader), Linda has her own impressive portfolio that extends well beyond that of toiling side by side with her husband. Linda has been a long-time leader in Orange County and California Republican politics. Her popularity in the party was demonstrated when in 2008 she ran unopposed for the coveted position of Republican National Committeewoman for California.
More recently, in March Ackerman was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan’s Water District of Southern California, and has been impressing many with her ability to tackle some pretty complex water policy issues. In that capacity, not to long ago, she penned a column for the FlashReport on the state’s water crisis.
Linda and I were both elected in the same election to seats on the Orange County Republican Central Committee — and I have endured years of teasing since it was she, and not me, that was the top vote getter!
Linda and Dick a few years ago moved from North Orange County down to Irvine (which was more central to then-Senator Ackerman’s sprawling district) — but apparently they plan on moving back up to the 72nd which they both have called home for decades.
Linda’s imminent announcement will likely result in a redux of a long-ago Assembly campaign match up which at the time pitted Dick Ackerman against Chris Norby — both prominent members of the Fullerton political community. Ackerman ended up winning that special election — but it’s anyone’s guess as to what would happen this go around. Norby, of course, has since been elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors and his district overlaps much of this Assembly seat.
Convention wisdom is that upon Ackerman’s formal announcement, Orange Councilman Jon Dimitru who had been exploring a serious bid himself would pull out the race. There are a few other folks talking about running, but unless any of them stepped up in a major way, we’d likely be looking at a two-person donnybrook in what will be a very short, intense campaign.
Norby will presumably have plenty of resources to bring to bear from those who have and continue to support his races for Supervisor and beyond — and Ackerman undoubtedly will benefit from those who have supported her husband’s efforts, and her own.
It will be interesting to see how these two campaign against each other, given that both are extremely conservative candidates who probably do not differ much on the policy issues facing California.
Look for the formal announcement tomorrow and then, as they say, we’re off to the races!