TIMES O.C. POLL : Voters Unsure in Treasurer, Clerk Races

Though the normally obscure jobs have received unusual attention this year, many voters still are not sure whom to support in the races for county clerk-recorder and treasurer-tax collector, according to a Times Orange County Poll.

Nearly half of those surveyed said they did not know who would get their vote in the clerk-recorder contest, while 36% were undecided in the treasurer’s race.

Treasurer Robert L. Citron, a 23-year incumbent, held a strong lead in his race, garnering the support of 41% of respondents to challenger John M.W. Moorlach’s 22%. Among the most likely voters, Citron has a bigger lead over Moorlach--50% to 19%, with 30% undecided. Moorlach, a certified public accountant, has criticized the way Citron invested billions of dollars in county tax revenues.

In the race for the newly combined job of clerk-recorder, Recorder Lee A. Branch and Clerk Gary L. Granville topped a field of four candidates. Branch held a six-percentage point lead over Granville even though he was censured by the Board of Supervisors in January and accused of mismanaging his department and sexually harassing two female employees.

The poll was conducted by Mark Baldassare and Associates, which surveyed 600 Orange County registered voters May 19-22.

Cheryl Katz, co-director of the Times Orange County Poll, said the relative obscurity of their jobs might help Citron and Branch, who are facing unusually strong election challenges.

“I think negative publicity for Citron and Branch probably hasn’t hurt them as much as it would hurt a more visible public figure,” Katz said. “People pay less attention to local races. These people are not in the public eye as much.”

The poll results indicate that Citron has not been significantly hurt by questions about his investment strategy, which Moorlach claims is risky and unwise in a period of rising interest rates.

“He still has a good edge,” Katz said. “I think it’s a pretty safe lead for Citron.”

Citron and other officials have defended the investment strategy, saying it has earned double the returns of comparable investment pools over the last decade.

Katz said that the clerk-recorder race is “still up for grabs” because 49% of those polled were undecided. “It could go either way,” she said.

Branch won the support of 21% of respondents, compared to 15% for Granville, 8% for assistant recorder Ella M. Murphy and 6% for attorney Christopher J. Leanders. Among likely voters, Branch led Granville 24% to 16%, with 47% undecided, the poll found.

The race has centered on Branch’s conduct, which Granville and Murphy attacked for lowering morale and productivity in the office. Branch has denied any wrongdoing and said the charges against him are overblown. The clerk-recorder is in charge of issuing marriage licenses and fictitious business names, as well as filing property records.

Poll respondent Jeanne O’Shea, a retired medical technician who lives in Costa Mesa, said she plans to vote against Branch because “he didn’t seem to respond to complaints from people who worked under him.”

Interviews with other poll respondents indicated that many voters are unfamiliar with the candidates and issues in both the clerk-recorder and treasurer races.

“I think that many people don’t think about these local races well in advance,” Katz said. “A lot of decisions might be made right in the voting booth.”

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Orange County Poll was conducted by Mark Baldassare and Associates. The telephone survey of 600 Orange County registered voters was conducted May 19-22 on weekday nights and weekend days, using a computer-generated random sample of listed and unlisted phone numbers. The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 4%. For subgroups, such as Democrats or Republicans, the margin of error would be larger.

Times Orange County Poll

Where County Races Stand

Forty-one percent of voters say they would choose Robert L. Citron for Orange County treasurer-tax collector over John M.W. Moorlach, who has 22%. The race for clerk-recorder is a closer contest.

If the election for Orange County treasurer-tax collector were held today, would you vote for. . . . Robert L. Citron: O.C. voters: 41% Republicans: 43% Democrats: 39% Income less than $50,000: 31% Income of $50,000 or more: 52% *John M.W. Moorlach: O.C. voters: 22% Republicans: 23% Democrats: 19% Income less than $50,000: 24% Income of $50,000 or more: 20% *Other: O.C. voters: 1% Republicans: 1% Democrats: 1% Income less than $50,000: 1% Income of $50,000 or more: 1% *Don’t know: O.C. voters: 36% Republicans: 33% Democrats: 41% Income less than $50,000: 44% Income of $50,000 or more: 27%

If the election for Orange County clerk-recorder were held today, would you vote for. . . . Lee A. Branch: O.C. voters: 21% Republicans: 24% Democrats: 22% Income less than $50,000: 18% Income of $50,000 or more: 24% *Gary L. Granville: O.C. voters: 15% Republicans: 16% Democrats: 14% Income less than $50,000: 15% Income of $50,000 or more: 16% *Ella M. Murphy: O.C. voters: 8% Republicans: 5% Democrats: 11% Income less than $50,000: 9% Income of $50,000 or more: 8% *Christopher J. Leanders: O.C. voters: 6% Republicans: 5% Democrats: 6% Income less than $50,000: 5% Income of $50,000 or more: 7% *Other: O.C. voters: 1% Republicans: 1% Democrats: 1% Income less than $50,000: 1% Income of $50,000 or more: 1% *Don’t know: O.C. voters: 49% Republicans: 49% Democrats: 46% Income less than $50,000: 52% Income of $50,000 or more: 44%

Source: Times Orange County Poll