Bates for the Assembly

Considering the growth in recent decades, it’s surprising that South County has not been able to get a home-grown representative in the Assembly. Someone from neighboring San Diego County always has won the seat in the 73rd District, which covers parts of both counties.

Next month that will change. Both major-party candidates are from South County: Republican Patricia C. Bates of Laguna Niguel and Democrat Robert Wilberg of Dana Point. We favor Bates.

Bates was a tenacious battler for the community of Laguna Niguel even before it became a city in 1989. In the days when Laguna Niguel was governed by the Board of Supervisors in Santa Ana, she was a familiar presence at board meetings, arguing for more parks, more recreation facilities, better planning on traffic and increased police protection.

Her efforts and those of colleagues paid off in incorporation. Bates has been on the City Council since Laguna Niguel was formed and has represented residents well. Defeated in a Republican primary in an earlier bid for an Assembly seat, she won the GOP nomination for that seat this year. The incumbent, Bill Morrow, has been forced out by term limits.

Bates stands out for her broad knowledge of both local issues and those before the Legislature. On health care, for example, she favors allowing members of health maintenance organizations to request independent reviews when health plans deny them care. We support that idea. Bates also favors letting patients sue health plans when care has wrongly been denied. We agree that federal law unfairly limits the legal options of HMO patients.

Bates’ deep roots in the community should make her a persuasive advocate for South County residents. She also has a good view of Orange County’s overall needs. With this Assembly seat open, she would be a good choice to represent the district.

For other Times endorsements, go to the Internet site https://www.latimes.com/endorsements.