Central County : Buchoz Quits GOP Race to Oppose Robinson

Citing a need for Republican Party unity, a former aide to Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove) withdrew Monday from the GOP fight over who will challenge Robinson a year from now.

Kathy Buchoz, former Westminster mayor, drew attention earlier this year with her exploratory campaign because it is unusual for former staff members to run against the officeholder who hired them. Buchoz defected from the Democratic Party after leaving Robinson’s staff two years ago.

Although the filing deadline for candidates is four months away, Buchoz’s withdrawal puts local Republican Party leaders almost unanimously behind Santa Ana real estate broker Richard Longshore, who has formally announced his third bid to unseat Robinson.

Buchoz said Monday that she would support Longshore.

Longshore came within 256 votes of defeating Robinson last November. His supporters, including members of the influential Lincoln Club, a GOP volunteer organization, had tried for months to persuade party activists that Longshore already has the GOP nomination locked up.

Buchoz said Monday that she recently lunched with Lincoln Club president Coalson Morris, among others, and came away feeling that she would receive much stronger support from Morris and other party activists in a future race if she withdrew from the 72nd Assembly District primary contest.

“I’m sure I could have won the nomination and gone on to defeat the incumbent in November, but there would be many casualties along the way that might not be worth the effort,” Buchoz said.

Buchoz said another factor in her decision not to run is that she is a relatively new Republican.

Buchoz lost the 1982 Democratic primary in the 32nd state Senate District by 388 votes.