Griset Accuses Foe of Skipping 8 of 9 Elections

Santa Ana City Council races are notoriously bitter, and this year’s races are no exception. One piece of campaign mail has already been sent out attacking a candidate for judging a bikini contest eight years ago.

This weekend, another “hit piece” will arrive in voters’ mailboxes. Councilman Dan Griset, running for reelection to his Ward 5 seat, is sending out about 27,000 flyers inviting residents to “Meet the Real Rick Norton”--Griset’s chief opponent in the race.

Norton, the flyer says, failed to vote in eight of the last nine elections in Orange County.

Since the statewide primary in June, 1982, the only time Norton has voted was in November, 1984, the flyer says.

Norton, who had not yet seen the flyer Friday, said he does not believe that it is correct. But he said he could not remember voting in any election other than the presidential election, when “I voted for Reagan.”

“I’ve got business in 11 cities; I could have been out of town,” said Norton, whose company operates swap meets and other events in Santa Ana and other cities.

“Whether I voted or not isn’t the issue. . . . He (Griset) is trying to get off what the issues really are in Santa Ana.

“The man is desperate. He knows he doesn’t have a chance of being reelected.”