El Toro Could Ground His Campaign

John Hedges is running for 5th District supervisor. The temptation is to pull him aside and say, “Uh, excuse me, Mr. Hedges, but have you looked at a map of the district? Have you noticed it includes places like Irvine, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach. . . ?”

On paper, Hedges would seem to have about as much chance of unseating Tom Wilson in the 5th District as Yasser Arafat would have being elected mayor of Jerusalem. Dominated by South County cities and unincorporated areas, much of the district has vehemently opposed converting the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a commercial airport.

Hedges, on the other hand, strongly supports a new El Toro airport and hasn’t shied away from saying so. He’s appeared on pro-airport panels and, as a commercial airline pilot himself, insists El Toro is the best spot for an airport that he says Orange County must have. Toss in that he’s a Newport Beach councilman, which makes him automatically suspect in much of South County on airport matters, and you’ve got to wonder if Hedges is a glutton for punishment.

In countywide ballot measures in 1994 and 1996, South County voters tried to kill the El Toro conversion plans. Here’s a partial tally from 1996: Irvine, more than 2 to 1 against; Laguna Hills, more than 2 to 1 against; Laguna Beach, nearly 3 to 1 against; Dana Point, nearly 2 to 1 against; Laguna Niguel, more than 3 to 1 against. In addition, unincorporated-area voters in the 5th District, such as those in Aliso Viejo and Leisure World, are solidly anti-airport.

With that in mind, I’m trying to picture Hedges striding into South County forums between now and the June 2 election. The biblical Daniel comes to mind. Hedges may be the first candidate ever to show up in disguise. It might be a good idea never to go to a microphone without his two young daughters in his arms . . . just in case. Otherwise, you picture him explaining the virtues of an El Toro airport as ripe fruit whizzes by his head.

The 42-year-old Hedges listens politely to this doomsday scenario and acts unfazed by any of it. “The

difficult battle,” he says, “is something to relish, not from which to shrink.”

Self-assured, precise in speech and utterly convinced of the correctness of his El Toro position, Hedges says part of his reason for running is to give voters a choice. He has a point.

The late Thomas Riley held the 5th District seat for 20 years, often running with little or no opposition. Marian Bergeson succeeded him and ran without opposition in 1994 but quit mid-term to take a state appointment. Gov. Pete Wilson then appointed Tom Wilson (no relation) to fill out the term, and, as Hedges points out, “If I had not run [against Wilson], no one else would have.”

Don’t mistake Hedges for a sacrificial lamb. “I don’t get in anything to tilt at windmills,” he says. “Eight years ago, I was a virtual unknown in the city of Newport Beach. A lot of people had the attitude that you seem to have now: ‘You really don’t have a chance.’ ”

Hedges ran a hard-hitting City Council campaign against popular incumbent Donald Strauss. “You know what?” he says. “I filed late on that campaign too. We got organized. We had a highly compressed time schedule. And we beat him.”

But that wasn’t the same as going into South County with airport blueprints in your pocket. Rather than duck the issue, Hedges says he will try to convince South County voters that, as a pilot and councilman with John Wayne Airport in his bailiwick, he’s better situated than Wilson to protect their interests as airport plans unfold.

“The train has left the station,” he says. “The board has voted. The aviation plan is the preferred use. The electorate has supported that [in 1994 and 1996 ballot measures]. Now it’s up to the 5th District representative to make sure that there are no adverse impacts [on South County residents]. The way it’s going, we’re going to have an airport. Now, what can we do, besides just saying no, to step up to the plate and make sure people’s fears are addressed?”

If there weren’t an airport issue, Hedges might have a good chance at the 5th District seat. He offers himself as the prototypical Orange County Republican, standing for fiscal conservatism, limited government and “balanced and rational land use.”

But . . . there is an airport issue.

South County wants one about as much as Fashion Island wants a Wal-Mart. Wilson, a former Laguna Niguel councilman, has been anti-airport since joining the board late in 1996.

Do you genuinely think you can win, I ask Hedges.

“Of course,” he says. “Absolutely. Why not?” I invoke the image of Daniel in the lion’s den.

He smiles.

“You’ll recall Daniel came out OK,” he says.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers can reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821, by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail at dana.parsons@latimes.com.