GOP’s Lundberg May Run for Senate if Royce Doesn’t

Lois Ann Lundberg, the grande dame of Orange County Republican politics who served a record eight years as county party chairman, announced Thursday that she may run for the state Senate.

But she conditioned her possible candidacy on completion of a complicated game of musical chairs by two incumbent officials.

If Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) gives up his seat to run for the U.S. Senate--as he has said he will--and if state Sen. Ed Royce (R-Anaheim) vacates his 32nd district seat to run for Dannemeyer’s congressional office, then and only then will Lundberg run, her prepared statement says.

“As a lifelong Republican, I respect incumbency,” Lundberg said.

“My party principles will not allow me to run against an incumbent. I therefore will not file an intent (declaration of intent to run for office) until Ed Royce determines if he is running for his Senate seat. The law allows me to file a declaration of candidacy if Royce does not seek reelection.”

Lundberg’s announcement took some Republican leaders here and in Sacramento by surprise.

Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress), who last month announced that she is running for the 32nd Senate seat and who claims endorsements from almost all of Orange County’s state legislators, said she would like to have “a little chitchat” with Lundberg about her reasons for running.

“I don’t know what to say,” Allen continued. “Certainly everybody has a right to get into a race and that’s what it’s all about.” She added, “I plan to win.”

Thomas A. Fuentes, chairman of the Republican Central Committee of Orange County and Lundberg’s immediate successor, was also surprised. “Golly,” he said. “I knew that she (Lundberg) was weighing things but nothing in a definitive direction.”

Royce Taken Aback

Also taken aback was Royce.

“No, I wasn’t aware of anything in that regard,” Royce said of Lundberg’s announcement. He said that if he does vacate his seat, “I’m going to endorse Doris Allen.”

Lundberg, 54, now working as a campaign consultant, was out of the office on Thursday afternoon and was not available for any comment beyond a written press release.

The filing period for state and local offices closed Wednesday. But state election law allows that period to be reopened for five days if an incumbent doesn’t file nomination papers by the March 7 deadline. In the state Senate race, Royce has said he intends to run for Congress, but he also filed for reelection to keep his options open, in case Dannemeyer quits the Senate race.

Lundberg has often told friends that she would like to run for office. In January, 1985, just before she ceded her party chairmanship and a virtual “empire” of Republican organization to Fuentes, she told a Times reporter that she might like to run for office--perhaps for Dannemeyer’s congressional seat when he retired.

However, the campaign consulting firm in which she now serves as a partner, Nason, Lundberg & Kiley in Orange, is currently working for Ron Isles, a Brea businessman who is a Republican candidate for Dannemeyer’s seat.

Meanwhile, Fuentes and other county Republicans said Lundberg had been putting out feelers about a state Senate candidacy. Fuentes said he had received a “nice courtesy call” from Lundberg several weeks ago. Still, he said Thursday that he was surprised by her announcement.

‘Very Natural Development’

“Lois has for years expressed an interest in seeking an office. It would be a very natural development of her political involvement. I’m just rather surprised in light of the lead which Doris has by virtue of her Assembly incumbency and her activities in the last several weeks,” Fuentes said.

He added, “I’m still saying my prayers that Bill Dannemeyer will run for Congress,” and the Republican musical chairs will not occur.

Lundberg’s partner, Bob Kiley, said that Lundberg had always wanted to run for office but that “due to her loyalty to the party and (her feeling that) the job’s not finished till it’s finished,” she had never run before.

Since she has lived in La Habra resident for 28 years, the Senate district is “her district,” Kiley said. “She almost ran for it (the seat) the last time except for the party coming first and her obligation to help others get elected and reelected. This time she doesn’t have that obligation over her head.” Kiley said she was prepared to take out papers on March 7 and would be well-financed with “whatever it’s going to take to win this election--upwards of $300,000.”

Kiley described Lundberg as a woman of “high visibility” in Republican politics who once served as chairman of the chairmen’s association for the California Republican Party.

Former President Richard Nixon once called Lundberg “the Golda Meir of Orange County.” As party chairman in Orange County, Lundberg earned the respect of both Democrats and Republicans for her skill in the nuts and bolts of politics--registering voters, recruiting volunteers, targeting races and raising money.

When Lundberg became chair in 1977, Democrats held a majority in the county and the Republican Party was struggling. A year later, Republican registration passed that of the Democrats, and over the years of Lundberg’s tenure, the margin widened. When she stepped down, Republicans held all but one of the county’s Assembly seats, all of the congressional seats and all but one of the state Senate seats.

But Thursday, a few Republican leaders questioned whether organizational skill in politics translates into being an effective candidate.

‘Served the Party’

Still, some of Lundberg’s friends would like to see her try. Said Supervisor Bruce Nestande, a longtime friend: “If Royce leaves, it’s an opportunity to go out there and test the grounds and see what kind of support she can gather. She’s served the party” and so deserves the chance.

Added Coalson Morris, president of the Lincoln Club, the county’s prestigious Republican fund-raising group: “Lois has a lot of points out there that have to be anteed up.” If Royce gives up his seat and Allen ends up running against Lundberg, “I would say that would make an interesting race,” Morris said.