3 Favorites Lead Large Field for Bergeson’s Seat

Two city council members and a state water official have emerged as the favorites in the crowded field of South County candidates Gov. Pete Wilson is considering to replace Supervisor Marian Bergeson, who will step down in early November to become the governor’s chief education advisor.

Fourteen people have expressed interest in the appointment, but the top contenders are Laguna Niguel Councilwoman Patricia C. Bates, Laguna Hills Councilman R. Craig Scott and Mary Jane Forster, a San Juan Capistrano resident and member of the State Water Resources Board, according to several county officials.

In recent weeks, Bates has picked up the support of several South County elected officials and organizations, including the Aliso Viejo Community Assn. and the directors of a group fighting plans to build a commercial airport at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

The city councils of Dana Point, Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel have sent Wilson letters urging him to appoint Bates to the District 5 supervisors seat.

When Bergeson accepted the state education post last month, she urged Wilson to appoint as her successor a woman who lives in South County.

District 5 stretches from Newport Bay to San Clemente and is at the center of some of the county’s most divisive land-use conflicts. Though most district residents live in South County, the area has been represented for more than 20 years by Newport Beach residents, first by Thomas F. Riley, now by Bergeson.

Of late, South County residents have loudly complained about their lack of clout in county government on issues ranging from the El Toro airport plan to the proposed expansion of the James A. Musick Branch Jail in Irvine.

“This is a pivotal point in time for the South County,” said Laguna Niguel Councilman Mark Goodman, who supports Bates. “People are looking for someone who will really represent South County.”

Bergeson is scheduled to step down on Nov. 8, and the governor’s office said it hopes to announce her replacement shortly after her arrival in Sacramento.

“There is a lot of pressure to have an appointment by [early November] so we’ll have a full board,” Supervisor William G. Steiner said. “Because of the important issues coming before the board, we cannot risk 2-2 votes.”

Steiner, whom Wilson appointed to the board in 1993, said he expected the governor’s office to review the applications and eventually develop a short list of candidates who will be interviewed in Sacramento.

While county power brokers and business interests might offer advice on the appointment, “ultimately this will be Pete Wilson’s call,” Steiner added. “He’s very deliberate and recognizes this is a very important appointment. He’s not going to rush into anything.”

Sean Walsh, a spokesman for the governor, said officials are now studying the applications but declined to name the candidates. “We told the individuals interested that we would respect the confidentiality of the process and not release their names,” he said.

Among the candidates frequently mentioned are: Laguna Niguel Councilman Thomas W. Wilson, former Irvine Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan, current Irvine Mayor Mike Ward, former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Gary L. Hausdorfer, former Dana Point Mayor Eileen Krause, Irvine Ranch Water District Director John Withers, Republican activist Tom Rogers and former Rep. Robert Badham (R-Newport Beach).

So far, Bates appears to have the most support from other South County leaders. Bates, 56, is a well-known figure in local government circles who is now chairwoman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency.

Forster, 53, has served for the last three years on the State Water Resources Control Board and is a former San Juan Capistrano planning commissioner.

Scott, a 44-year-old attorney, helped incorporate Laguna Hills and has served on the City Council since its inception in 1991.

Another Laguna Hills councilwoman, Melody Carruth, is also considered a contender for supervisor, and the City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging Wilson to appoint her.

Wilson’s appointee will serve out the remaining two years of Bergeson’s term. The victor will be one of three new supervisors to join the board by January in what is considered an unprecedented turnover.

The new supervisor will immediately face a crucial vote on certification of an environmental impact report for the El Toro airport plan, which many South County residents oppose. Bergeson has already announced her opposition to the report and expressed hopes that her successor will reject it.