Water District’s Chief Won’t Run

Orange County Water District President Jerry King said Friday that he won’t seek reelection to a second term after allegations of a conflict of interest were lodged against him this week.

King, a vice president of Psomas & Associates in Costa Mesa, said he didn’t want “to get into the gutter” with critics who say he shouldn’t have met in an official capacity with Chino officials about an annexation affecting district land because his firm is being paid by the same city to push the project.

King said Friday that he plans to continue working on water-quality, environmental and recreation projects as a volunteer. “There are a lot of things I want to finish that I don’t need to be an elected official to do,” he said.

About half a dozen candidates have filed to run for the seat to which King was elected in 1998. The filing period will stay open for five more days because King, as the incumbent, chose not to seek reelection.

Friday was the filing deadline for candidates for all seats in Orange County, except in races in which the incumbent is not running, which extends the filing period.

Several city races around the county feature well-known candidates, adding local drama to the Nov. 5 election.

In Anaheim, former Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle, now a local lobbyist, is running for mayor against Anaheim Councilwoman Lucille Kring and former La Habra Police Chief Steve Staveley.

Though the seat is nonpartisan, Republicans and Democrats are watching the race. Staveley, a Democrat, most recently was director of the state attorney general’s Division of Law Enforcement. The other two candidates are Republicans. The mayor for eight years has been Tom Daly, a Democrat, who is in a runoff race for county clerk in November with Irvine attorney Bruce Peotter.

In Anaheim council races, six candidates will vie for two seats: Richard Chavez, Stephen Eichler, Manny Ontiveros, Robert Flores, James Mills and Robert McDonald.

Santa Ana has 13 candidates competing for four council seats, including two--one of whom is incumbent Miguel A. Pulido--running for mayor. City officials said they would not release the final list of names until Monday.

And in Huntington Beach, the deadline for filing was extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday after incumbent City Councilwoman Grace Winchell failed to file for reelection.

Eleven candidates have filed papers so far for four available seats, according to City Clerk Connie Brockway. In addition, she said, two candidates--Jennifer McGrath and Alan Leigh Armstrong--have filed for the office of city attorney, which Gail Hutton is vacating after 24 years.

More than 160 candidates filed for 42 school board races around the county. And more than 140 candidates filed for 37 seats with various special districts.