North County : Sen. Royce Enters Race to Win Seat in Congress

First-term state Sen. Edward R. Royce (R-Anaheim) announced Tuesday that he will seek the seat of Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton), who set off a political version of musical chairs earlier this week when he announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat now held by Democrat Alan Cranston.

For months, Orange County political strategists have said that Royce would probably run for the Dannemeyer seat if it came open. The 34-year-old state senator confirmed the speculation Tuesday.

Royce, an accountant and former tax manager for a cement firm, said he had spent Sunday and Monday discussing his plans with key Republican leaders and had received endorsements from Orange County’s Republican supervisors, assemblymen and state senators.

Assemblymen Ross Johnson (R-La Habra) and John R. Lewis (R-Orange) will be co-chairmen of his campaign, he said. Royce said he supports President Reagan’s Strategic Defensive Initiative (the so-called Star Wars space defense program) and would campaign on a promise to retire the federal deficit.

Royce is the first to announce his candidacy for the Dannemeyer seat.