The race to replace Don Wagner as AD-68 assembly representative just got more crowded. Irvine Mayor Steven Choi and former Villa Park council member Deborah Pauly have announced plans to run for assembly against Anaheim Republican Harry Sidhu.
Sidhu, vilified by the former Friends for Fullerton’s Future blog for being a carpetbagger in the 2012 BoS race, is a former member of the Anaheim City Council. He, like Democratic candidate Lorri Galloway, moved into the district to represent voters they largely represented from the Anaheim City Council. Choi did the same in Irvine, but was considerably less transparent than either Sidhu or Galloway. Choi rented a one bedroom apartment and had furniture like folding chairs and thumbtacked calendars on the wall, while he continued to live in his expensive Woodbury home. Galloway and Sidhu rented very nice homes in their districts but were blasted by FFFFers who are rabid Shawn Nelson posers.
Choi’s list of accomplishments seems to take considerable credit from his Republican peers; you can read his announcement on the race on his website. I, for one, hope Choi finishes in the top two. I don’t think he can raise the money needed to win this race and just lacks the leadership and communications skills needed to be effective in the Assembly. But a top 2 finish gets him off the city council. Choi can count on Irvine’s Korean voters and perhaps won’t benefit from the IEs paid for by developers like FivePoint.
Choi will best be remembered for insulting Jews by wearing a photoshopped image of Nancy Pelosi as Stalin and posing with TeaBaggers who had Photshopped images of Pelosi as a Nazi SS officer — something he has never apologized for.
Choi’s signature project, a massive Library at the Great Park, likely dies with his candidacy — as it should.
Pauly has endeared herself to the Tom Tait conservatives and those who supported John Moorlach for State Senate. Her candidacy will mobilize Irvine’s significant Persian and Muslim voting blocs to stop her giving her bigited remarks directed at speakers to a CAIR event in North OC that were so over the top even Congressman Ed Royce distanced himself from her words. And for the district’s moderate and progressive voters, we’ll note Pauly is a Board Member of the John Birch Society and a proud TeaParty Republican.
With three poor Republicans vying for a spot, a Democrat has a great chance at finishing in the top two. The biggest question is who will it be?