GOP Group Urges Dornan to Drop Congressional Bid

The influential Lincoln Club is urging former Rep. Robert K. Dornan to drop out of the race for his old congressional seat or face the possibility that members will endorse one of his GOP opponents in the June primary.

The leadership of the conservative group, which wields considerable political clout in the county, approached Dornan Feb. 14 and asked him to stay out of the primary, according to several members of the club’s board.

However, Dornan went ahead as planned and declared his candidacy for the GOP nomination in the 46th Congressional District. Dornan wants a rematch with Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), who defeated him by 984 votes in 1996.

Dornan alleged that he lost because of voting by noncitizens and other ballot irregularities, but a congressional investigation found insufficient proof of illegal votes to overturn the result.

Emphasizing his determination to run, Dornan on Monday paid a $1,336 filing fee, gathered nominating signatures and opened a campaign headquarters here.

“I am definitely running,” he said Tuesday, then dismissed the request from the Lincoln Club as irrelevant. “Not a single Lincoln Club member lives in my Reagan blue-collar district, and no one on their board has given me a nickel since 1990.”

The organization’s 25-member board unanimously voted Feb. 13 to send its two top officials to talk to Dornan, said several members. Dornan was approached by club Chairman Doy Henley and President Dale Dykema after a GOP candidates’ forum Feb. 14.

Neither could be reached for comment Tuesday, but club Vice President Howard Klein said, “The board’s concern was that Bob ought to reconsider running,” and that if he remained a candidate, “the Lincoln Club may have something to say about it.”

Other members said the board would weigh endorsing one of Dornan’s opponents in the primary.

“The threat is for the good of the party,” said a club member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Republicans who have announced candidacies for the 46th District seat are: Superior Court Judge James L. Gray, divorce lawyer Lisa Hughes, Newport Beach resident Innocenzio T. Laciura, Anaheim Councilman Bob Zemel and former Cypress City Councilman Cornelius “Chuck” Coronado.

Several Lincoln Club members said they are afraid that Dornan would win the primary but then become a lightening rod for Democratic money in the fall election. They argue that this would hurt other GOP candidates in central Orange County such as Assemblyman Jim Morrissey (R-Santa Ana) and Senate Republican Leader Rob Hurtt (R-Garden Grove).

“Everybody in the county believes that Dornan has no chance at winning against Sanchez, but he would put Morrissey at risk by activating Democratic money, workers and attention to save their icon Loretta Sanchez,” said one GOP political operative.

GOP leaders in Washington and the county have made no secret of their dissatisfaction with Dornan. He has used particularly rough language against President Clinton and has taken absolutist stands against abortion and gay rights.

Dornan calls such GOP leaders out of step with the party’s faithful and Tuesday derided House Speaker Newt Gingrich for allegedly instructing congressional Republicans to say little about the allegations of sexual misconduct in the White House.

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Peter M. Warren can be reached at (714) 966-5982. His e-mail address is peter.warren@latimes.com