Cox Exploring Senate Run for Feinstein’s Seat

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) has decided to run for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the 1994 election, the three-term congressman has confided in a letter to his financial backers.

“I will soon be announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Cox wrote. “But before I make the public announcement, I wanted to write you first.”

Despite the letter and confirmation of his candidacy by prominent Orange County Republicans, Cox, 40, refused in an interview Saturday to affirm that he is running.

Reached at his Newport Beach home, Cox said he would make a public announcement after a July 31 fund-raising meeting with “several hundred” of his supporters at a private home in Anaheim Hills.

“This is a little bit of one of these great paradoxes in politics,” Cox said. “It is true I have told my close supporters that I intend to make an announcement. But I will talk to them first. . . . Shortly after the July 31 meeting, assuming all goes well between now and then, I will be in a position to make an announcement.”

While refusing to publicly disclose his decision, Cox took the opportunity to criticize Feinstein, the former San Francisco mayor who was elected, along with fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer, to the Senate last November.

Unlike Boxer, Feinstein was elected to fill an unexpired term and faces reelection next year. She won her Senate race by defeating an Orange County Republican, Sen. John Seymour, who had been appointed to the seat by Gov. Pete Wilson.

“The bottom line is our two Democratic senators have endorsed an economic plan that spells disaster for California,” Cox said. “Clintonomics are widely regarded as recessionary.”

Cox argued that Clinton’s election and his subsequent loss of support in the polls could help the Republicans nationwide next year.

“It is increasingly likely that the election of Bill Clinton will bring to Washington a Republican Senate next year,” Cox said. “It could mean a change of five seats in the Senate.”

A representative for Feinstein couldn’t be reached late Saturday.

However, local Democratic Party activist Tim Carpenter, who also sits on the state Democratic Party Executive Committee, downplayed Cox’s bid.

“Another Orange County congressman gives up his set for another failed Senate race from this county. Great,” Carpenter said. “The better for us.”

Retired businessman King Burstein, a longtime supporter of Cox, predicted that Cox would be a formidable candidate, even though he is now a “long shot” opponent to Feinstein.

“It has to be done because we need a good candidate to run against” Feinstein, Burstein said. “If the election were held tomorrow, he would be beat 2 to 1. But the election will be held November of next year. . . . You have to prepare ahead of time.”

In the July 5 letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, Cox invites supporters to join his “Congressional Club” committee--the membership is $500--and attend the July 31 meeting featuring California Republican Party Chairman Tirso Del Junco.

Del Junco will “join us for this auspicious beginning,” the letter stated.

Cox is not the only Orange County Republican considering entering the party’s primary election next June.

Shortly after Feinstein’s election last November, former Congressman William E. Dannemeyer of Fullerton announced his intention to run for the seat.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) has said he will decide by the end of the year whether to seek reelection to his House seat, challenge Feinstein, or fulfill his dream to run for the presidency in 1996.

However, political observers don’t believe that three well-known local Republicans will battle each other in the primary election for the right to challenge Feinstein.

“I think it is unlikely we will have three candidates from Orange County, especially because they all recognize they would be running from similar points of view,” said Greg Haskin, the executive director for the Orange County Republican Party.

Haskin, who spoke to Cox Saturday morning, also said he was not convinced that Cox’s decision is final. He said Cox told him he intended to keep open his congressional finance committee while establishing an “exploratory” committee for the Senate race, thus keeping his options open.

“But he is seriously considering” the Senate race,” Haskin added.

Part of what may lead more congressmen to consider the race is the growing sentiment by voters nationwide in favor of term limits.

“Why stay in for one last term if you can go for something better now?” Haskin said.

Other possible Republican candidates include Rep. David Dreier (R-La Verne), and former Palo Alto Rep. Tom Campbell, who lost to television commentator Bruce Herschensohn in last year’s June primary election.

John M. Raya, a member of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Orange County, said that unlike more conservative California Republicans, Cox “really has the ability to attract people across the spectrum.”

Defining himself as a fiscal conservative, Cox is a member of the House Budget Committee and has led the fight for a budget reform plan that would limit Congress’ ability to create budget deficits.

In recent months, he unsuccessfully fought the closure of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in his district, arguing that the plan would cost about $1 billion more than estimated by the Pentagon.

Cox has served in Washington for eight years, having spent two years as an attorney under former President Ronald Reagan.