Ex-Grisham Aide to Run Against Him

Declaring that his former boss has lost so much support he is “not electable,” a former aide to Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk) announced Thursday that he will challenge Grisham in the Republican primary.

Dale Hardeman, who also helped manage Grisham’s unsuccessful campaign for the Senate last year, said he will run against Grisham because otherwise a Democrat is bound to beat the assemblyman in the general election. Several Democrats have announced they will run for Grisham’s 63rd District Assembly seat.

Grisham said he was surprised by Hardeman’s announcement. The legislator said he had even intended to hire Hardeman as a political strategist in his campaign for a third term. “I feel like a member of my family is running against me. . . . I feel a little like I’ve been double-crossed,” Grisham commented.

The owner of a Downey printing company who worked as a Grisham aide for a year, Hardeman said he moved to Downey from Orange County a week ago. The district includes Downey, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs and Cerritos.