<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Two Republican Aides Wait for Job Nibbles; Another’s Gone Fishing

Two of the young GOP aides who admitted breaking the law to help Republicans capture last fall’s special Assembly election are pounding the pavement looking for work.

Mark Richard Denny, 27, was competing for a job with an Irvine company that handles campaign mailers, according to sources following Denny’s activities. And computer whiz Jeffrey Christopher Gibson, 24, recently ended a stint with Dave Gilliard, a Sacramento-based political consultant who was involved in the same election, Gilliard said.

The pair, along with Richard Martin, 26, pleaded guilty to manipulating the 1995 special election to help elect Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) last fall. Baugh and two others have since been indicted in connection with the same race.

In pleading guilty, the three GOP political operatives were barred from campaign work requiring direct contact with voters.

Martin’s attorney, Erick Larsh, said he thought the sentence violated his client’s 1st Amendment rights, but for Martin, the issue is moot. Martin, an avid fisherman, is now working for a sports fishing boat charter company in San Diego.

“He’s happier leaving all the politics behind. And probably healthier,” Larsh said.

No-shows: It remains the most Democratic Assembly district in Orange County by a wide margin. But that does Democrats no good if few of their people vote.

That’s the situation in central Orange County’s 69th Assembly District, where Democrats own a 43,000-to-27,000 registration edge. But in last month’s primary, more Republicans actually voted.

“If people don’t vote, we’re going to have a problem,” said Lou Correa, the Democrat challenging first-term Assemblyman Jim Morrissey (R-Santa Ana) in that district in November. “I really see our mission as enhancing the democratic process in this area by making people understand how important their vote is, and then making sure they vote.”

Life after recall: The current question in Dana Point concerns what life will be like after the failed recall of Mayor Karen Lloreda and Councilman Harold R. Kaufman.

Both escaped recall in a very close March 26 vote that cost the city an estimated $50,000, meaning nothing has changed on a council whose two factions have been at odds for months. Lloreda, Kaufman and Councilwoman Judy Curreri make up the majority, with Councilwoman Toni Gallagher and Councilman Bill Ossenmacher often paired on the losing end of 3-2 votes.

“Now we get down to the business of running the city, which is what we should have been doing for the last nine months,” Kaufman said. “Either we are joined with other council members or we’re not.”

“If we’re 3-2, we’re 3-2, and that’s the way the vote goes down. Let’s just get on with the business of the city.”

Another term perhaps? The recent announcement that the Friends of Marian Bergeson would be holding a $250-a-plate fund-raiser at Bertolini’s Italian restaurant in Irvine April 25 led to the obvious question: Does this mean the 5th District supervisor has decided to run for reelection?

No, the money raised will be used for costs associated with her duties, such as airplane travel, luncheons and dinners, Bergeson said. It’s still too early to decide about another term, she said.

“I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m not even halfway through my first term,” which concludes at the end of 1998, Bergeson said.

Marian’s men: Guest of honor at the Bergeson gathering will be Kevin Sloat, who is Gov. Pete Wilson’s deputy chief of staff. Many people remember Sloat as chief of staff for Bergeson when she was a state senator from Newport Beach. Also on Wilson’s staff is Chris Kahn, another former Bergeson aide.

“I groom them all for the governor,” Bergeson said with a laugh.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Monday: The Republican Central Committee of Orange County will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Call (714) 556-8555.

* Tuesday: Kate Squires, a former U.S. Senate candidate from California, will be the guest speaker of the Orange Republican Women Federated at 11 a.m. at the Turnip Rose in Orange. Call Vicki Minardi at (714) 637-5680.

* Tuesday: Arianna Huffington will be the guest speaker at the membership tea of the Balboa Bay Republican Women Federated at 11:30 a.m. at the Balboa Bay Club. Call Meagan Marriott at (714) 548-3496.

* Thursday: The mayors of Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente will be featured at the 4th annual Mayors Forum at 7:30 p.m. at the La Sala room of the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library.

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

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Showing Up for the Party

Republicans outpoll Democrats in 69th Assembly District

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Registered Voted % Voted 1994 primary Democrats 43,817 9,745 22.2 Republicans 28,934 9,720 33.6 1996 primary Democrats 42,818 9,111 21.3 Republicans 27,050 10,151 37.5

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Source: County registrar of voters