Kovic Announces He Won’t Run

Ron Kovic officially put a national rumor mill to rest on Thursday when he announced he will not run for Congress against Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), a decision Kovic called “one of the most difficult . . . of my life.”

The wounded Vietnam veteran, whose life story is told in the movie “Born on the Fourth of July,” gave no reason for bowing out.

“After much careful thought and consideration, I have decided not to run,” Kovic, 43, said in a statement. “I love this country very much, so I will continue to speak out and support political candidates and issues which articulate the vision of a new, even better America and a more peaceful world.”

With Kovic out of the race, the Democrats launched another candidate to challenge Dornan.

Barbara Jackson, public affairs director of Orange County’s Planned Parenthood office, filed for the office Thursday, one day ahead of the deadline for state and federal candidates.

In a press conference, Jackson said her support for choice on abortion will be a major part of her campaign. “This district clearly has a pro-choice majority,” she said.

But Jackson, 37, who lives in Buena Park, acknowledged that it will be “a near-Herculean task” for her to beat Dornan, a three-term incumbent. Jackson said she is uncertain about taking time away from her career for the campaign, adding that she doesn’t know how much money she can raise and has no plans for a campaign staff.

Meanwhile, The Times on Thursday obtained a poll conducted by national Democratic strategists that showed Dornan to be vulnerable in a match-up with Kovic.

The February survey conducted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington said only 36% of the district was likely to support Dornan in 1990, and an equal portion said they probably would not support him.

The pollsters, Hickman-Maslin Research, concluded that the match-up was a “statistical dead heat” but that Kovic had a “good chance of unseating” the incumbent.

“Dornan is going to try to brag about the fact that Ron Kovic is scared of him and that’s why he didn’t run,” said Howard M. Schloss, spokesman for the campaign committee. “Ron Kovic was certainly not scared of Bob Dornan and this poll proves he had no reason to be.”

Dornan could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Democrats hold an edge in voter registration in the 38th Congressional District by about 50% to 41%. The district includes Garden Grove and parts of Westminster, Anaheim and Santa Ana.