I thought I'd take a moment and load up my recommendations for the June primary from the point of view of a Tea Party activist. If you feel I've made any mistakes, please leave me a comment below and I'll look into the issue further. Most of these recommendations are based on the offices that are most important to Tea Party activists living in Orange County, CA. I've borrowed liberally from the folks at the Orange County Tea Party Blog and the great work done by Kelly Hubbard. I've also borrowed from the Orange County Register when I had no other sources.
Governor of CA:
Tim Donnelly – is currently a State Assemblyman. He is a true proven conservative who has a “never give up spirit” with lots of positive energy. He has strong family values and a hard work ethic. He holds steadfast to the principles of free enterprise, defending liberty, restricting government regulation, and upholding the constitution.
Lieutenant Governor:
Ron Nering - The grassroots activists of the Republican Party represented by the California Republican Assembly voted overwhelmingly to support former state Republican Chairman Ron Nehring for Lt. Governor. The group, with membership across California, has consistently backed Nehring over the years during successful campaigns for state Republican Party leadership posts. "The members of the CRA are drawn to politics because of solid ideas, and our goal is to put those ideas into action," Nehring said.
Secretary of State:
Pete Peterson - He earned his Masters in Public Policy from Pepperdine University, and was a Public Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Attorney General:
Orly Taitz - Orly is a friend of mine and I would vote for her even if she was registered as a Democrat. We could not go wrong with her as our new Attorney General.
Controller:
Ashley Swearengin - Mayor of Fresno.
Treasurer:
Greg Conlon - Greg Conlon gained hands on experience serving two of California’s most critical agencies. Governor Pete Wilson appointed Greg to both the California Public Utilities Commission, where he served for two years as president and four years as Commissioner, and to the California Transportation Commission, where he served for three years as Commissioner.
State Board of Equalization:
Van Tran - I have always liked him. In my view, Diane Harkey has too much baggage to be a good representative for the Republican party.
California Insurance Commissioner:
Ted Gaines – currently in the State Senate and has been a solid conservative voice. He is a 5th generation Californian and has been a direct insurance broker for the past 30 years. He has great family values and has filed a lawsuit against Covered California to stop the cancellations of policies and to demand more accountability. He has a high 95.6 Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association rating.
State Senator - 36th District:
Patricia C. "Pat" Bates - She has been around a while. I do not hear too much negative about her.
Member of the State Assembly - 73rd District:
Jesse Petrilla - He is a local Tea Party sensation who deserves your support.
Orange County Board of Supervisors:
For the 5th DistrictRobert Ming – currently Councilman of the City of Laguna Niguel, former Mayor. He is a proven conservative, has strong family values and a hard work ethic as well as a strong advocate for the 2nd Amendment. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association endorses him. He led the charge in his City to save all the money needed before remodeling its City Hall. They had no need to borrow money, nor did they go over budget. He cites integrity, fiscal responsibility and leadership as the missing elements for solutions in Orange County.
For the 2nd DistrictMichelle Steel – currently a member of the State Board of Equalization. In this position she has actually returned money to taxpayers and has fought against new and raising taxes. She states her goals as supervisor would be to root out waste, fraud and abuse from the county budget; reform public employee pensions to protect taxpayers; protect our coastline and beaches; support local law enforcement; and reduce regulations and red tape on small business.
Orange County Assessor:
Claude Parrish - The Orange County Register believes Mr. Parrish will bring fresh thinking to the county assessor’s office.
Orange County Clerk-Recorder:
Hugh Nguyen - The Orange County Register reports that When Hugh Nguyen was appointed to the top spot at the Clerk-Recorder’s office in April 2013, he certainly had a mess on his hands. The proper accounting of $6.8 million in public fund expenditures couldn’t be assessed because of poor record keeping, in an office that is responsible for keeping county records. They think that, so far, Mr. Nguyen appears to be living up to expectations, which is why these editorial pages feel he is best-suited to stay on and finish the job.
Orange County Auditor-Controller:
Eric Woolery - The Orange County Taxpayers Association has endorsed Eric Woolery in the Orange County Auditor-Controller’s race because he has the right set of skills and expertise to best serve as the watchdog over Orange County’s taxpayer funds. He is a CPA, a former small business owner, a former county school board member, and currently serves as Orange Treasurer.
CA State Assembly:
73rd DistrictJesse Petrilla – is currently a City Councilman for the City of Rancho Santa Margarita. He is an officer in the CA Army National Guard and has a history of grassroots leadership and advocacy, and as a result has raised more than $100,000 with over 200 donors. He has strong family values and a hard work ethic. He has a proven record as a fiscal conservative and has pledged not to raise any taxes. (Jesse has been a target of a dirty smear campaign of half-truths by one of his opponents.)
65th DistrictYoung Kim – former Congressman Ed Royce staffer. She lists improving the economy, improving education opportunities, fixing the state budget, and making public safety a priority as her commitments. See Orange County Tea Party Blog Kelly Hubbard’s article on her.
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Lydia Gutierrez – serves as an elected Board member on the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council and is on the Education and Public Safety Committees. She has a tremendous history of serving, has been dedicated to education and has a great love for teaching children. She has strong family values and a strong work ethic. She stands against Common Core. Lydia founded the National Organization of Parents and Teachers For A Quality Public Education. See Orange County Tea Party Blog Kelly Hubbard’s article on Lydia.
Orange County Superior Court Judge, Office 35:
Jeff Ferguson – currently deputy district attorney. He has been a friend to the tea party and has worked hard to seek justice and protect neighborhoods from narcotics traffickers, street gangsters and other thugs. His tenants are responsibility, accountability and fairness. He has been awarded Prosecutor of the Year four times by the OC Narcotics Officers Association, among many awards and recognitions. He has strong family values and a hard work ethic. He has been endorsed by former San Clemente Sheriff Bill Hunt: “He is dedicated to our U.S. Constitution, especially our Second Amendment right . . .” See OC Tea Party Blog Kelly Hubbard article re Jeff.
Orange County Superior Court Judge, Office 35:
Helen Hayden
Orange County Treasurer:
Shari Freidenrich – A dedicated and ethical treasurer. In her first term, she worked hard to save taxpayer money wherever she could. She believes the money rightfully belongs to them. She is also endorsed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
U.S. Congress:
Dana Rohrabacher – incumbent Congressman for the 48th District. He is on the House Committee of Foreign Affairs and is a strong advocate for national security and has been a leader in the fight against amnesty. He was the only OC Congressman who voted against the latest raise in the debt ceiling. Endorsed by Freedom Works.
Tom McClintock – incumbent Congressman, 4th District. We mention Tom McClintock because he is being ambushed by his own party who are seemingly collaborating with Democrats to defeat him. Apparently, he is too conservative for the GOP. Congressman McClintock has been a stalwart conservative, many times being the lone CA Congressman voting to protect the Constitution. Endorsed by Freedom Works.Igor Birman – He is a candidate for Congress, CA 7th District. He has been Congressman McClintock’s Chief of Staff since 2009, as senior policy and strategy advisor. He has a unique love for America and its freedom and liberty having come from the Soviet Union with his family as a refugee. He has strong family values and hard work ethic. He graduated from UC Davis and is a licensed attorney. Endorsed by Freedom Works; appeared several times on the Glenn Beck Program. He was also a speaker at the recent Freedom Works Kentucky FreePAC event.
45th Congressional District – TBD
U.S. Senate:
It is imperative constitutional patriots win races in the Senate. This is probably the single most important thing we can do to thwart and reverse the onslaught of national socialism. We highly recommend the Senate endorsements of Freedom Works and Senate Conservatives Fund. Please read up on these endorsements and donate to them.
Orange County Board of Education:
For Area 5Linda Lindholm – currently she is the Mayor of the City of Laguna Niguel. She is determined to ensure that education taxpayer dollars are spent directly in the classroom and not on administrative bureaucracy. Current Trustee Robert Hammond, a proven conservative advocate of education, has endorsed her.
For Area 2Tom Pollitt – founder of the Newport-Mesa Tea Party and on Costa Mesa’s Charter Committee. He desires to promote parental rights and choices, improve the County’s charter school system, and make sure taxpayer funds go to the classrooms and not the administration. He questions the financial viability of Common Core and it’s standards. Current Trustee Robert Hammond, a proven conservative advocate of education, has endorsed him.
John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.