<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : In a Pointed Meeting, Ferguson Claims Chief of O.C. GOP Aids His Foe

Mad as Heck: The local Republicans’ big election victory celebration Tuesday at the Westin Hotel hadn’t even begun when party leaders began fighting--literally--over the next big political battle.

Just before the party started, Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) angrily grabbed Orange County Republican Party Chairman Thomas Fuentes by the lapels and told him in unfriendly terms that he didn’t appreciate Fuentes taking sides in the upcoming three-way contest to succeed state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach).

Ferguson, who has announced his candidacy for the special election early next year, is expected to face Assembly members Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and Ross Johnson (R-Placentia).

The feud between the two has been simmering for some time. So what finally caused the blowup? Ferguson claims Johnson was picked by Fuentes to give the Pledge of Allegiance at two GOP rallies featuring Gov. Pete Wilson--one last Sunday at the Orange County Fairgrounds and another on Monday in Ferguson’s district. Tuesday, Ferguson’s volunteers were told they couldn’t place his campaign banners in the hotel ballroom for the victory celebration. The signs went up after Ferguson and Fuentes “talked.”

“I wouldn’t hit a person lower than myself,” Ferguson said sheepishly when asked about the incident. “I just explained to him that I didn’t think it was proper for the chairman of the party to be encouraging and abetting an assemblyman . . . to run in my district. I didn’t think that was very smart, since I am bigger than he is.”

Fuentes could not be reached for comment.

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Who was that masked man?: Days before the election, there were numerous reports of Bob Dornan sightings around the haunts of the Garden Grove Republican’s Democratic opponent. One day he was spotted in the parking garage across the street from Mike Farber’s headquarters; another day he was at a union hall where Farber’s volunteers were running a telephone bank operation.

But even the Democrats were amused when he showed up Monday at the Democratic campaign headquarters of 69th Assembly District candidate Mike Metzler, whose staff included ex-Farber workers.

Dornan complained about Farber, congratulated Metzler for running a “very fine campaign,” and then posed for pictures with Democratic campaign workers, including one photo in front of an American flag with Al Chavez, Metzler’s volunteer coordinator. “I was star-struck,” Chavez said.

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Quotes of the Week: “At the end of 1984, there were two Democrats left, me and (former California Democratic Party Chairman) Dick O’Neill. Tom Umberg’s back here now, so now I guess there’s three of us.”

--Former Orange County Democratic Chairman Howard Adler, after his party’s humiliating election defeats, including that of Umberg, who gave up his central Orange County Assembly seat to run unsuccessfully for state attorney general.

“I think the new Republican leadership will be more forceful and less arrogant, and that’s possible if you keep a good heart.”

--Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), the morning after the election.

ELECTION WINNERS AND LOSERS

(Down arrow) The voters in the 67th and 72nd Assembly districts, who won’t be seeing much of their reelected Assembly members, Doris Allen and Ross Johnson. Even before the polls closed Tuesday, they let it be known they plan to run for Bergeson’s state Senate seat. For Johnson, that means re-registering to vote in an area outside the Assembly district he now represents.

(Up arrow) Yorba Linda political consultant Robert Kiley, who led the successful Proposition 187 campaign. Until this year, he had never managed a major statewide campaign, primarily focusing on local measures and the City Council election of his wife, Yorba Linda Mayor Barbara Kiley.

(Down arrow) Santa Ana Mayor-elect Miguel A. Pulido Jr., who won the election but lost some animo. Shortly before the election, Pulido came out against Proposition 187, espousing the argument that it would deny public education to illegal immigrants and turn health officials into Immigration and Naturalization Service agents. Then, on election eve, he sent out a mailer claiming he opposed the measure “because it does not go far enough.”

(Down arrow) Farber, who, despite a highly spirited and costly campaign against Dornan, garnered only 37% of the vote--less than the 41% received by stealth candidate Robert J. Banuelos in his race against Dornan in 1992.

Exit Poll

The Los Angeles Times Poll surveyed Orange County voters after they cast their ballots Tuesday. Here’s how some Democrats fared in the local survey.

* If Bill Clinton were running for reelection today, how would you vote?

Position: Percent

Definitely or probably vote for him: 27%

Definitely or probably vote against him: 63%

Not sure: 10%

* In the race for state attorney general, here is how local voters identified their ideology:

For Democrat For Republican Tom Umberg Dan Lungren Liberal 69% 21% Middle-of-the-road 42% 52% Conservative 11% 86%

Source: California League of Conservation Voters

Compiled by Times political writer Gebe Martinez, with contributions from staff writers Leslie Berkman, Greg Hernandez, Rebecca Trounson and Tracy Weber.

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.