Dornan Says He Will Seek 9th--and Final--Term in Congress

After months of apparent indecision, Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) announced Friday that he will seek reelection to a ninth--and final--term in Congress.

The announcement by the combative conservative that he will run again in central Orange County’s 46th Congressional District means a postponement of his plans to seek higher office or begin a career as a talk show host.

Although Dornan publicly had been coy about his political future, his plans were revealed in a fund-raising letter he sent to his supporters in which he underscored that this would be his “final race for Congress.”

“I ask my supporters to ride with me one more time toward the thunder of the political battlefield,” he said in a campaign statement Friday.

Instead of the usual hoopla that accompanies campaign kickoffs, Dornan’s announcement was low-key and limited to a two-page press release. Dornan was not available for comment, and his statement did not include his commitment to make this his last campaign for Congress.

But Dornan’s press secretary, Brian Keeter, said the congressman strongly backs term limits and will honor his pledge to step down after the next term if he is reelected.

In his statement, Dornan said he is running again because he believes Congress “will be the primary battlefield” in the conservatives’ fight against the Clinton Administration.

He did not explain his rejection of other options he had considered, including a run for the GOP presidential nomination in 1996, going after the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein, or seeking a lucrative broadcasting contract.

“It’s clear he waited until the last minute because this was the last thing he wanted to do,” said Howard Adler, former chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party who heads Beat Bob Inc., a fund-raising committee organized last year to defeat Dornan.

“He does not want to represent the people of the 46th (district),” Adler said. “He has devoted all of his energy to finding another job. . . . I don’t think he deserves to keep (the seat).”