HUNTINGTON BEACH : Bannister Will Skip City Council Race

Councilman Wes Bannister announced Wednesday that he will give up his city post to run for the statewide position of insurance commissioner.

Bannister said two weeks ago that he was seriously considering running for both the insurance post and the City Council. He said at the time that he had been advised by the city attorney’s office that nothing in the law prohibited his running for two offices in the same election.

On Wednesday, however, the Republican nominee for insurance commissioner said he had been informed by the city attorney’s office that he could not simultaneously hold both offices.

“There’s nothing either in state law or the city charter that prohibits running for two offices, but a person cannot hold both offices if he were elected,” said City Atty. Gail C. Hutton.

“I don’t want to cause any problems or hardships for the city, and since I can’t serve in both positions, I’m not going to be running for reelection to the City Council,” Bannister said. “I would have no qualms about running for both positions if I could serve in them both, but the city attorney’s office said that the City Charter prohibits that.”

Bannister’s idea of running for both the state post and the City Council provoked ridicule two weeks ago from his Democratic opponent, state Sen. John Garamendi of Walnut Grove. Garamendi said Bannister’s suggestion that he might seek two jobs in the same election was “crazy” and “shows he really doesn’t want to be insurance commissioner.”

Bannister, in rebuttal, said he is vigorously campaigning for the state position. But he said that he also wanted to remain on the City Council if possible because “we’ve made so many strides during the past four years in the city, and I would hate to see that record undone.”

There are three City Council seats up for election Nov. 6. The seats are currently held by Mayor Thomas J. Mays, Bannister and Councilwoman Grace Winchell. Winchell is now the only one of the three who will be seeking reelection.

Mays is giving up his seat to run as the Republican nominee for a state Assembly seat from the Long Beach-Huntington Beach area.