A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life : GOP Candidates Get Down to ‘Business’

There’s a common thread to ballot designations for the more than 100 candidates running for the GOP Central Committee: 39 of them are listed as having some connection to business.

They call themselves businessman, businesswoman, small-business owner, business executive. That wouldn’t be noteworthy, except that in many cases they’re more closely connected to politics than business.

Among those with the businessman designation: Jeff Flint, deputy chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle of Garden Grove; and Todd Nugent and Jeff Nielsen, field representatives for Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach).

Rhonda Carmony, the campaign manager for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), lists herself as businesswoman.

County Treasurer-Tax Collector John M.W. Moorlach, who gained fame decrying the risky investment tactics of dethroned Treasurer Robert L. Citron, lists himself as a certified public accountant on the central committee ballot.

Not everyone is running from their political connections. Bradley Wilkinson, who also works for Pringle, lists himself as a legislator’s assistant. Gil Ferguson, who is also running for state Senate, calls himself a “retired state Assemblyman.”

Jim Righeimer, who is a Realtor and does some consulting, gave an explanation for the plague of business titles. “It polls high with Republicans,” he said.

Righeimer’s ballot designation: local business owner.

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More Moorlach: The county treasurer is a lock on election day, March 26: He’s running unopposed. Despite that distinct advantage, Moorlach until recently had doubts he would turn up a winner.

Moorlach’s uncertainty stemmed from the presence of Measure T on the same ballot. It would establish a county charter that, among other things, would convert his post to an appointed position. Moorlach feared his own uncontested election might be nullified.

Last week, the county counsel’s office said that even if Measure T is approved, Moorlach would remain an elected official until his term expires in 1998. At that point, the position would become appointive.

Despite the reprieve of sorts, Moorlach isn’t happy about the potential change. “I want to be an elected official and serve the people. I enjoy working for the voters,” he said. “Being an appointed bureaucrat is not what I had in mind. It doesn’t suit my personality.”

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O.C. Attorneys for Affirmative Action: In the den of conservatism that is Orange County, it is rare to hear a discouraging word about right-wing causes. That hasn’t stopped the 6,400-member Orange County Bar Assn. from taking a stand against the November statewide ballot measure to end affirmative action in California.

The 45-member board of the local attorneys group voted overwhelmingly to craft a resolution against the controversial measure. The vote followed similar decisions by attorneys in the more liberal enclaves of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Jennifer Keller, Orange County Bar Assn. president, said politics didn’t play a part in the vote. Instead, it was the group’s own experience as it more fully integrated its ranks--and the interesting diversity that minorities and women brought to the association--that swayed the board.

“We’ve seen how it has helped us grow and embrace the future,” Keller said. “We feel it’s been so vital and beneficial for us, we’d hate to see it set back in the public sector. . . . Our feeling is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

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There They Go Again: Never bosom buddies, state Sen. Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) and former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson have bared their knuckles in the 35th Senate District GOP primary.

Ferguson recently sent letters to the Orange County district attorney, the state attorney general and the Internal Revenue Service complaining that Johnson lives in a Sacramento suburb, not the district. That not only violates campaign laws, Ferguson contends, but also IRS regulations prohibiting lawmakers from collecting the Legislature’s $100-a-day living allowance tax free if they live near the Capitol.

“His children went to Sacramento schools. He has his credit card bills mailed there. There’s no way he can’t call that his residence,” Ferguson said.

Johnson calls Ferguson’s charges “the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass,” saying the whole thing is a moot point because he spends weekends with his wife at the Irvine condominium they own.

He criticizes Ferguson for supporting toppled Assembly Speaker Doris Allen, who was recalled last November. Johnson also notes that Ferguson’s wife, Anita, and former legislative aide, Dorothy Hughes, were on Allen’s legislative payroll during the recall.

Ferguson makes no apologies for his support of Allen as she fought Orange County’s GOP “machine.” He also suggests Johnson has sunk to new lows by attacking his wife: “I don’t see that there’s anything wrong with what she did.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Thursday: Candidates night hosted by the Anaheim and West Orange County chapters of the California Republican Assembly, 7 p.m., Cypress Community Center, 5700 Orange Ave. Steven Brody at (310) 430-8400 or David Reinking at (714) 828-7260.

* Thursday: The Capistrano Bay League of Women Voters public forum on state and county ballot measures, 7:30 p.m., Crown Valley Community Center, 29751 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel. (714) 249-4477.

Compiled by Times staff writer Eric Bailey with contributions from Times staff writer Peter Warren and correspondent Shelby Grad.

Politics ’96 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘96, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.