The FlashReport has learned tonight from Assemblyman Van Tran that he has decided NOT to run for the State Senate in the 34th State Senate District. Instead, he will sit out the Senate race, and seek re-election to the 68th Assembly Seat he has occupied since 2004.

Tran said that his decision was not based on his ability to defeat his primary opponent in the race, Lynn Daucher. Rather, he felt that coming out of a bruising primary would make it virtually impossible to beat the eventual Democratic nominee, especially with his feeling that there was a lack of unity from certain critical fellow Republican leaders.

There is still a primary match-up though for Daucher, with the opponent being long-time Santa Ana Republican activist Lupe Moreno. But clearly she will not be as formidable a challenger to the well-funded Daucher as Tran would have been. The most immediate ripple-effect here is that Tran will now seek reelection in the 68th district where a GOP donnybrook was in full… Read More

The important California Republican Assembly endorsement went to Cypress Councilman Mike McGill running for the 67th Assembly District against Supervisor Jim Silva and legislator’s wife Diane Harman. Also endorsed was Jim Righeimer, GOP donor/businessman running for the 68th Assembly Distinct against Garden Grove Councilwoman Janet Nguyen.

The Righeimer endorsement was no surprise. He is a long time conservative activist who has strong support in the grassroots.

McGill’s endorsement is shocking. He is a good guy, but no movement conservative.

The CRA endorsement is a huge boost to Righeimer who’s opponent Nguyen just claimed the Cal Chamber endorsement today.… Read More

From Senator Chuck Poochigian’s office:

Poochigian Requests Attorney General Investigation into Use of Taxpayer Funds for “Preschool for All” Campaign

SACRAMENTO – Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) has requested a formal Attorney General investigation into whether taxpayer funds were illegally used to influence signature gathering efforts and build support for the Proposition 82 “Preschool for All” campaign. Below is a statement from Senator Poochigian on his request, followed by the text of the letter sent to Attorney General Bill Lockyer on February 24, 2006:

“There have been calls for audits to connect the paper trail about the process in which taxpayer money was spent on the ‘First 5 California’ and… Read More

After doing this political thing for many years I thought I had seen it all. I was wrong. Tonight I was browsing some of the candidate web sites in the 50th CongressionalDistrictand I noticed something I had never seen onthe campaign website before. The site of candidate Richard Earnest has a buttonto click on to view the candidate’sNet worth I am not sure what I make of this yet.… Read More

These days, central Orange County is a hotbed of political activity. The nucleus of the craziness is the bigger-than-life double-contested-primary race to see who will succeed State Senator Joe Dunn (D-Lives out of the district) in the 34th State Senate District. One of the candidates in the contested GOP primary for that seat is Assemblyman Van Tran. Tran’s Senate candidacy sets the stage for a GOP primary in his 68th Assembly District seat, which he has represented for only one term.

As has been mentioned on the FR before, there are two candidates running in this Republican primary (in the 68th, Democrats need not apply). One is long-time GOP activist and donor Jim Righeimer. The other is Janet Nguyen, who is a member of the Garden Grove City Council, and works as an executive with the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce.… Read More

I’m not a spokesman for Jim Silva, nor am I a consultant to or otherwise compensated by his campaign.

But I am a friend of Jim’s. I worked hard for his re-election to the OC Board of Supervisors in 1998, when he came under a determined assault by South County anti-airport forces who were using Huntington Beach Councilman Dave Sullivan as their vessel.

But the reason for this post is to offer a response to the irrepressible OC YAFers and the Real Silver Bullet they sent out last week. [I must also confess to being somewhat irked at the YAFers ripping-off my original creation!]

To put it in context, the purpose of the OC-YAF effort is to aid the Mike McGill for Assembly campaign’s effort to flank Silva on the right. That means combing through… Read More

The 35th SD special election is only six weeks away (April 11). Dana Point Councilwoman Diane Harkey has been campaigning hard — at least eight campaign mailers to date, including an absentee ballot program. Two of the mailers hit Assemblyman Tom Harman hard on his votes for tuition for illegal immigrants and sponsorship of the diaper tax [by the way, OC Blog has been posting the mail as it goes out — click here for an overview]. Harkey has the endorsements of just about every major OC GOP political leader, as well as Lincoln Club and the HJTA. The New Majority will likely make a decision in the near future.

Today, this simple, hard-hitting Harkey ad (see link at end of post) began airing on local cable channels, contrasting the two candidates on illegal immigration.

I’m not sure what to make of the Harman campaign. Other than… Read More

The most outrageous thing I saw at the Republican State Convention this past weekend was the ego of Pierre Richard Prosper, candidate for State Attorney General. Now everyone in politics has a little bigger ego then the average Joe, including myself. If you don’t have a healthy ego, you should not be in the arena. With that said and adding to on to the account of my fellow Flash BLOGer Jennifer Nelson; Mr. Pierre Richard Prosper set a new low for pointless self promotion this weekend. His huge 4X8 posters of him walking off a US Government jet with a security guy standing at the doorway was one of the most obnoxious, pompous and stupid things I have seen at a GOP convention in a very long time.

Again, echoing everything Jennifer Nelson said, I will add this- Who the Hell do you think you are Mr. Pierre Richard Prosper? Thanks for showing all of us little peons at the convention that you are so dame important that you get to fly on government aircraft and have security. George W. Bush does the same thing, but you don’t see him or any other President or Governor highlighting the fact in campaign materials.

I am glad you choose to show us… Read More