John Hanna Is Successor to Sumner : Lawyer Elected Democratic Chairman

Democratic activists Monday night unanimously elected John Hanna, 35, a lawyer and party strategist, to be the new chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party.

Hanna, a Democratic activist since high school, will serve a two-year term, replacing Bruce Sumner, a retired judge, former state assemblyman and now Democratic nominee for the 40th Congressional District.

Hanna inherits a party that has little money, a registration that lags far behind that of the county’s wealthy Republican Party and holds only a few legislative seats.

Hanna vowed to give Republicans a fight over the next two years. “When I’m chair in ‘88, every seat is going to be contested, and we’re going to give a strong effort everywhere. . . . Democrats in Newport Beach need as much attention as Democrats in Garden Grove.”

But Hanna said he is a realist.

Walked Precincts for McCarthy

“I’m going to be a very active chairman for the next two years. But it may be I’m going to be like Moses. I’m not going to get to the Promised Land.”

Hanna became interested in politics while walking precincts for presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy in 1968. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, he has worked as an aide to former Rep. Jerry M. Patterson (D-Garden Grove) and to former Democratic Party Chairman Frank P. Barbaro, who is now his law partner in Santa Ana.

Hanna has a reputation for being a party technician as well as an organizer, keeping close tabs on voter registration figures and election statistics. In typical Hanna fashion before Monday night’s election, he had telephoned 43 of the 53 Democratic Central Committee members, making sure he had the votes for his election. Also elected Monday were campaign consultant Sheila Patlett, party vice chairman; Communications Workers of America officer John Pope, treasurer, and party volunteer Marti Schrank, secretary.