Irvine’s Wagner to Use Mayoral Re-Election Bid to Run for Third District Supervisor

AD-70 candidate Don Wagner in the middle
Don Wagner in the middle instead of on the right

Sources tell TheLiberalOC that Irvine Mayor Don Wagner is openly telling friends that soon after he wins re-election as Irvine’s Mayor in November, he’s announcing he’s a candidate for the Third District Board of Supervisor’s race when that seat opens in 2020 (or sooner if Todd Spitzer wins his race for District Attorney).  If that’s the seat Wagner seeks, why bother using the Mayor’s job as a jumping point to run for election as it shortchanges Irvine’s residents from a distracted candidate?

And the arrogance of Wagner to even discuss his political future while facing the voters for another term as Mayor.  I have to wonder what Wagner’s platform for BoS would be — “vote for me so I can do the same crappy job of dealing with the county’s homeless problem that I did as Mayor?” Or insulting Italian-Americans?  Or showing rank hypocrisy by wearing his Christianity of his sleeve for Concordia University’s religious freedom while no doing squat for the county’s homeless? Or putting up a ballot measure that places the interests of developers over residents?

State Rep. Steven Choi (R-68) holds Wagner’s old seat in Sacramento; he’s rumored to be considering a run for BoS because sources tell us Choi’s tired on being in the political minority in the Assembly. Wagner’s already beaten Choi once in AD-68.  Both men must believe they’ll get all the political contributions they need from Irvine developers that both have so richly rewarded over the years.

Asm. Floor Scuffle, Photo: John Myers, KQED

Anaheim council member Kris Murray was first out of the gate to announce she’s running for the seat.  No Democrats have expressed an interest in the Third District yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, or any of the CD-45 candidates who don’t win the primary in June take an interest in this seat.

More importantly, we’re waiting for a Democrat to emerge to challenge Wagner in an election for Mayor.  It’s a job Wagner really doesn’t want. Could former Congressional candidate and Democrats of Greater Irvine chair Ron Varasteh give it a shot?  One of the Irvine residents running for Congress in CD-45 who don’t make it out of June.  Hell, a ham sandwich would be a better mayor.  And while Wagner holds the title, isn’t Patrick Strader of Starpointe Ventures the real mayor of Irvine?  He calls the shots with the council majority and every commission kneels to his Strader’s ring because it’s on the hand that signs the checks candidates need to run.  But it’s Irvine CA not FivePoint CA right?

Whoever runs, they’ll face a ton of IE money fueled by Developers.  But even a flood of mail, a caravan of street signs, and cable TV advertising can’t beat smart Irvine voters who realize Wagner is only running for re-election to have a good ballot designation when he runs for Supervisor.  Wagner’s welcome to deny he has no interest in the Supervisor’s race but by the time I got my 7th call on this issue, I wouldn’t believe him even if he said so.

Perhaps Irvine voters could send Wagner packing in November so he could devote his full energy to running for the county BoS seat rather than worrying about chairing City Council meetings.

2 Comments

  1. Wagner is a complete loser.

    He lost way back in 2004 when the personality-less Devore beat him for Assembly and then last year when Moorlach destroyed him for Senate.

    Losing to Moorlach eats him alive.

    The only race he ever really won he barely beat Amante and Choi when he was an afterthought and they went after each other. Wagner slipped in through the back door. Then he beat Five Point owned Melissa Fox. Wow.

    Five Point will no longer need him in 2020 when he’ll run for Supervisor. He will beg for their cash, but they will be on to their next stooge for Mayor. Poor Donnie Darko.

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