Questions haven’t hurt Laguna Beach council candidate’s popularity

In any other town, Jon Madison might have been forced to throw in the towel by now.

His age seems to vary depending on voter registration records, his name may have changed shortly after he arrived here from New York, and the impressive degrees he claims to have earned at Cornell and UCLA School of Law may not exist.

But in small, bohemian Laguna Beach, a town that takes pride in its long history of tolerance, Madison is sailing along as a front-runner in his bid to win a seat on the City Council. In fact, a recent poll shows he’s on course to handily win one of the three seats on the Nov. 4 ballot.

“This is not a town where an education makes all the difference; this isn’t Boston, this isn’t New York,” said carwash owner Scott Thompson, 51, who supports Madison. “Years of service and knowing people is what makes a difference.”

Would-be voters in the beach city know Madison as the gregarious owner of a downtown cafe and gift shop as well as a community volunteer who has served as a board member for the Laguna Art Museum, the Pacific Symphony and a pair of outreach organizations that work with those who are HIV positive.

And for many voters here, that’s all they need to know.

“I don’t have any proof of one thing or another,” said Rick Gold, 71, who works with Madison on the city’s Heritage Committee, which evaluates buildings in the city for potential historic status. “I think it’s just a shame things like this have come up.... It doesn’t change who he is.”

Or as Madison offers: “Allegations are allegations.”

Still, Madison has had difficulty filling in some of the blanks on his resume, beginning with his birth date and name.

Recent voter registration records list Madison’s birthday as Jan. 29, 1953. Previous voter records indicated it was Jan. 29, 1954. Stu News Laguna, a local news publication, posted a statement from Madison in which he says he was born in 1957.

Then there were the Orange County court records filed in 1994, which described a request from a man named John Mancuso to change his name to Jon Jay Madison. Mancuso wrote that he hailed from New York, as Madison says he does. Mancuso’s listed address was also the same as Madison’s.

Add to that the doctorate and law degree Madison said he earned at Cornell and UCLA School of Law — neither of which show he was a graduate or a student.

Madison has not exactly rushed to his own defense, though he did promise in late September to put his birth certificate and Cornell degree on display at the restaurant. So far, the documents have not surfaced, though there are signs of his campaign — “Madison means business,” says one sign; “Madison Makes Laguna Shine,” read a stack of postcards piled on a claw-footed stool.

He said he suspects the birthday mix-up could be clerical error, the name-change paperwork evidence of possible identity theft and the diplomas just too difficult for busy universities to track down.

Madison built a reputation for his work as an entrepreneur; his name is displayed on the sign of a local gift store and restaurant he manages: Madison Square and Garden Cafe.

It’s a laid-back establishment in a historic green cottage (either 102 or 114 years old, Madison says) on “Gallery Row” that in many ways epitomizes Laguna Beach. Diners sit outdoors under swooping trees to have dishes such as Madison Rancheros and Shanghai Chicken Salad. If Madison walks by, he makes a point of tossing treats to the assembled dogs.

Known as a philanthropist, Madison often donates the space for charity events — common occurrences in the wealthy city.

“He’s not just well liked, he’s exorbitantly beloved,” said Michael Irvin, a gallery owner in Laguna.

Madison’s 186-word ballot statement makes no mention of his age or education, but describes his work helping preserve city buildings and his experience developing a small business. The Orange County district attorney’s office found “no evidence of criminal activity” in the documents he submitted for the City Council campaign.

Stu Staffer, the editor of Stu News Laguna, wrote that “the time has come, it would seem, for Jon Madison to suspend his campaign.” But he also said he did not intend that as a directive for Madison. (“A publisher, an editor of a newspaper in a small town such as Laguna Beach should not have the power of a bully pulpit.”)

Even his political detractors are finding it difficult to turn on Madison.

“You can’t help but like the guy,” said fellow candidate and Councilman Kelly Boyd, who has rescinded his public support for Madison but says he still may vote for him.

emily.foxhall@latimes.com