FLASHREPORT

As we continue to assess the lay of the land of Republican primaries in "safe" GOP or competitive seats, today we turn our virtual magnifying glass on the 68th Assembly District.  This district is located in the center-west of Orange County.  (See the map here.)  It includes all or part of the following cities: Stanton, Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, and Costa Mesa.  The seat is currently held by my friend going back to college days, Republican Assemblyman Van Tran.  Tran is departing the Assembly after his third allowable term, and is running hard for Congress, where he is challenging incumbent Democrat Loretta Sanchez.

By the numbers, the seat has been considered safe Republican. There are 90,496 GOP voters (41%), 72,992 Democrat voters (33%), and 47,166 Decline to State and other voters (26%). In the Democrat tidal wave of 2008, Tran beat his Democrat opponent by 10,000 votes -- 71,943 to 61,095.  There is a Republican registration program currently working in the district which should bolster these numbers.

Unlike many of the districts that we will review in the coming weeks, the 68^th has one candidate who, at least up to this point, has really dominated the Republican field, drawing thus far only token opposition.  Conservative Allan Mansoor (pictured right) is the strong front runner for the GOP nomination.   Mansoor by profession is an Orange County Deputy Sheriff.  He also is the very popular Mayor of Costa Mesa.  Mansoor has gathered up quite a broad list of endorsements from the political, activist and donor communities.  In this district, besides Tran who has not endorsed, the most significant endorsements to get, which Mansoor has done, are those of Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and State Senator Tom Harman.  Iconic Republican donor George Argyros, whose vast business empire is headquartered in Costa Mesa, has endorsed Mansoor.