Countywide : Senate Race Foes Talk Tonight

Three candidates for the 35th Senate District seat, all with considerable political experience, are scheduled to appear at an election forum in Costa Mesa tonight to outline their policy preferences and express their views.

Former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson of Newport Beach, Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and Ross Johnson (R-Placentia) are among the candidates expected to speak at the forum.

Others who have said they will appear at the forum, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Republican Assembly, include Robert Ruper, a Newport Beach eye surgeon; Dan Worthington, a member of the Costa Mesa Sanitary Board; and Long Pham, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a seat on the Newport Beach City Council.

The special election to fill the office is March 14. The district, which was represented by Marian Bergeson, now an Orange County supervisor, stretches along the north coast of the county and includes Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Laguna Beach, parts of Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin and Westminster.

“We’re hoping for a good turnout that will get people involved in the democratic process,” said Chris Hayden, the president of the Costa Mesa Republican Assembly. Each candidate will be given an opportunity to make opening statements, then will be asked a series of questions by a panel, including specifics on their proposals and policies. The audience will also have a chance to ask questions, Hayden said.

The forum will start at 7 p.m. in the Neighborhood Community Center, at 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.

Others who have officially filed for the seat are Democrats Madelene Arakellan, a Newport Beach businesswoman, and Mike Palitz, a Corona del Mar entrepreneur. They have not told organizers whether they will attend, Hayden said.