Democrat Eu’s Son Considers Republican Run for Controller

Matthew (Kip) Fong, a Los Angeles attorney and son of Democratic Secretary of State March Fong Eu, said Tuesday he is considering running for state controller as a Republican.

In response to inquiries, his mother sent out a two-page statement declaring that she loves her children and reared them to be independent thinkers but that she would be “neutral” in any election in which her son ran as a Republican.

Eu, who intends to seek a fifth term next year, said it was a “difficult but necessary” decision to make. “On political matters, we have agreed to disagree on many things,” she said.

Fong, 34, refused to elaborate on his possible candidacy, claiming that to do so “is kind of premature right now.”

Fong, who has never held public office, switched his voter registration last year from Democratic to Republican and helped lead an Asian-American campaign organization for President Bush.

State Controller Gray Davis, a Democrat, has filed papers of intent to seek reelection. Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) also has filed papers for the post. However, no Republican candidate has done so, an official of the Fair Political Practices Commission said.