TheLiberalOC has learned that Irvine Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Lalloway will not run for AD-68 if State Rep Don Wagner wins a special election for for State Senate.
Lalloway cited the young age of his two daughters and desire to remain close to his family in Irvine as a principal reason. Lalloway told TheLiberalOC Friday night that his political ambitions extend only to the city council.
Lalloway also denied being a part of the anti-library boondoogle signage campaign in Irvine directed at Mayor Steven Choi. The city began removing signs this week and the campaign questions Choi’s fiscal responsibility to build a massive library at the Great Park.
With Lalloway’s decision, a path has been cleared for Mayor Choi to run for AD-68 if Wagner wins the special election for Senate. Only this time, Choi doesn’t have to move into a sham apartment with cheap furniture like he did in 2010 when he lost a three-way with Wagner and Tustin’s Jerry Amante. Choi’s carpet bagging was the subject of a lawsuit filed by Amante that was all for naught when Wagner won.
Anaheim’s Harry Sidhu isn’t waiting for the special election. He has already declared himself a candidate for the Assembly seat and is spending time lining up GOP endorsements.
Should Choi run for assembly and win, Lalloway could finish Choi’s term as mayor. Because of the nature of a sitting city council member being elected to higher office, the council can appoint a replacement rather than hold a special election. That could open the door for Irvine a Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo or Finance commissioner John Duong. Others rumored to be weighing an assembly run are Tustin’s John Nielsen or Anaheim’s Kris Murray. Murray seems unlikely to depart a council majority trying to hold on to the Angels and, like Lalloway, she has a small child at home.