Off to the Races : Stirling’s Senate Bid Sparks Scramble for His Assembly Seat

Assemblyman Larry Stirling formally announced Wednesday that he will run for the state Senate, a move expected to set off a round of political musical chairs that could eventually alter the philosophical composition of the San Diego City Council.

Stirling, a San Diego Republican, will apparently have little trouble with his latest step up the political ladder, which has been anticipated since Sen. Jim Ellis (R-San Diego) announced last week that he will retire rather than seek a third term in the Legislature’s upper house.

If elected to the Senate after four terms in the Assembly, Stirling, a former San Diego City Councilman, said he will pursue solutions to traffic problems around the Coronado Bridge, the completion of California 52 and new concepts in providing a stable water supply for San Diego County.

He said he expects to be more productive in the Senate, where members serve four year terms, than in the Assembly, where terms are for two years and partisan wrangling between Republicans and Democrats is much more prevalent.

“The Senate seat is an opportunity to focus more on policy than politics,” Stirling said. “The longevity of four years versus two years means you can take a longer view and focus on more substantive issues, and you have a longer period of time to see to it that they come to fruition.”

As of Wednesday, no one had filed with the county registrar of voters to run against Stirling for the GOP nomination in the predominantly Republican 39th Senate District, which includes El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Ramona, Mission Gorge and parts of Mission Valley, Point Loma, and Coronado.

A Democrat, Benita Berkson of San Diego, and a Libertarian, George Hall of San Diego, have indicated they may run but have not completed the paper work necessary to do so. Potential candidates in the race have until Tuesday to formally declare their intention to run, the first step toward getting their names on the June 7 primary election ballot.

The race to replace Stirling in the 77th Assembly District may turn into an east versus west battle between two Republican women: longtime Ellis aide Carol Bentley and San Diego City Councilwoman Gloria McColl.

According to figures supplied by the registrar of voters, about 36% of the district’s voters live in the City of San Diego--mainly in the communities of San Carlos, Tierrasanta and Del Cerro. The rest of the district’s voters are spread among El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee and Lakeside. Republican registration in the district is just over 50%, while Democrats account for about 37% of the voters.

Bentley, who has worked for Ellis since he was elected to the Assembly in 1976, is from El Cajon, and she has strong ties to rank-and-file Republicans in the East County. Ellis has pledged to support her candidacy.

McColl was appointed to the City Council in 1983 and was elected to a full term in 1985. Her name identification is probably strongest within the city limits, and she is well connected to the San Diego-based bankers, developers and businessmen who provide much of the funding for GOP campaigns.

Also planning to run in the Republican primary is Ralph Winkler of Lakeside, a retired Air Force major and a member of the Lakeside Community Planning Group. Winkler ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Secretary of State in 1986.

El Cajon Mayor to Run

El Cajon Mayor John Reber has filed to run in the Democratic primary. Libertarian Reena Deutsch of San Diego has also declared her intention to run for the seat.

If McColl is elected to the Assembly, the City Council could either appoint a successor, call a special election to fill the seat or leave her position vacant. If elected, McColl would take office in the Assembly in December, while her term on the council does not end until a year later.

McColl’s departure could change the makeup of the council, since the 3rd District, which she represents, is considered winnable by either a Republican or Democrat, a liberal or a conservative. Although McColl is considered a conservative Republican and a strong supporter of private property rights, she has developed a close personal relationship with Mayor Maureen O’Connor and was appointed deputy mayor for 1988 with O’Connor’s support.

McColl has yet to announce her intentions formally, but she said Wednesday that she would “not have gone through” the step of taking out nomination papers if she did not intend to run.

Although Wednesday was officially the filing deadline for the 77th Assembly District post, candidates who have not yet filed will have another chance to do so from March 11 to March 16 because of incumbent Stirling’s decision to run for the Senate.

In all other races for the state Legislature, however, Wednesday’s deadline will be final unless incumbents who intend to run for reelection drop out for some reason before submitting nominating papers in March.

In the state Senate, Sen. Marian Bergeson is seeking reelection to a second term representing a wide but lightly populated swath of San Diego County stretching from Camp Pendleton through the backcountry north of Escondido and east to the county line. Bergeson, a Newport Beach Republican, also represents parts of Orange and Riverside counties and all of Imperial County.

Opposing her will be Democrat Patricia McCabe of Huntington Beach.

Two other senators from San Diego County, Republican William Craven of Oceanside and Democrat Wadie Deddeh of Chula Vista, do not face election this year. Their terms expire in 1990.

In the Assembly, incumbents Robert Frazee (R-Carlsbad), Bill Bradley (R-San Marcos), Sunny Mojonnier (R-Encinitas), Lucy Killea (D-San Diego), Pete Chacon (D-San Diego) and Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) have all filed to run for reelection. None of them will face any opposition in the party primaries.

Frazee Faces Foes

In the 74th District, Democrat James Melville of San Clemente will run against Frazee. Libertarian John Flanagan of Carlsbad has also declared his intention to run in that district, which includes part of South Orange County, the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista and San Marcos, and the communities of Olivenhain, Valley Center and Fallbrook.

In the 75th District, two Democrats--Mary Christian-Heising of San Diego and Harrison Chilton of Coronado--intend to seek the party’s nomination to oppose Mojonnier. Libertarian John Murphy of San Diego and Arnie Schoenberg, a La Jollan and member of the Peace and Freedom Party, also intend to run against Mojonnier. The district includes much of the county’s coastline and reaches inland from La Jolla to Rancho Bernardo.

In the 76th District, which covers much of rural East and North County as well as Escondido, San Marcos, and parts of Riverside County, Bradley will face Democrat Elsa Rivas of Palm Desert in November.

In the 78th District, Killea will be opposed by Republican Byron Wear, who lost a race for a seat on the San Diego City Council in 1987. Libertarian Curtis McMillan of San Diego will also run in that district, which includes Mission Hills, Normal Heights, Linda Vista, Old Town, Mission Beach and parts of Loma Portal, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach.

Popular Office Holder

The 78th is the one legislative district in San Diego that could fall to either the Republicans or Democrats. Democrats hold only a slight edge in voter registration--44.2% to 42.1%--but Killea is considered a popular office-holder whose support crosses partisan lines In 1986, she handily defeated a well-financed Republican opponent, Earl Cantos Jr., who is now the county’s Republican Party chairman.

In the 79th District, Chacon will face Republican Gary Gann of San Diego and Libertarian Joe Shea, also of San Diego. The mostly urban district includes the city of Lemon Grove, the communities of Encanto and Paradise Hills, and portions of Spring Valley, Bonita and downtown San Diego.

In the 80th District, which includes areas from Chula Vista south to the International Border and east to Imperial County, Peace will be opposed by one of two Republicans--Gerald Lewis Prior and Steven Baldwin, both of Chula Vista. Libertarian Randolph Myrseth of National City will also run.