Primary Contests Take Array of Forms

With 53 House seats up for grabs, primary races have broken out around the state, including a Central Valley contest pitting a political veteran against a young opponent, a Northern California battle featuring three GOP candidates with familiar names and an Orange County feud starring two well-known Republicans.

In the Central Valley, Lisa Quigley, the former chief of staff of Rep. Calvin Dooley (D-Hanford) and former state Sen. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) are vying for the Democratic nomination for the 20th Congressional District seat being vacated by Dooley, who is retiring.

Quigley has cited her youth, her familiarity with district issues and her being the mother of two young children in her bid for office.

Costa is a well-known lawmaker who served 24 years in the state Legislature, where he gained expertise in water and agricultural issues.

“You have the new and the old,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of a nonpartisan political newsletter in Washington.

Political analysts cite Costa’s legislative experience as an advantage.

“Costa’s been around forever,” said Dick Rosengarten, publisher of the state political newsweekly CalPEEK. “He’s got pretty darn good” name identification.

Two Republicans are also running in the primary: state Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) and businessman Gino L. Martorana.

Another contest is underway in Northern California’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Sacramento suburbs.

An intraparty feud for the seat held by Rep. Doug Ose (R-Sacramento) features three GOP candidates with name recognition: former state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, state Sen. Rico Oller (R-San Andreas) and newcomer Mary Ose, the incumbent’s older sister.

“It’s not a silly race,” Rothenberg said. “You have a former member, a conservative legislator and someone with the same last name as the current member.”

Mary Ose and Oller both have something else: money.

Each has raised more than $1 million, with Ose pouring nearly $800,000 into her campaign and Oller lending his campaign $250,000.

Oller has portrayed himself as the most conservative of the trio, promising to introduce legislation if sent to Washington that would prohibit states from granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

His campaign also sent out a controversial mailer attacking Lungren’s voting record on immigration.

Lungren, who was a congressman from the Long Beach area before serving as the state’s attorney general and losing the governor’s race to Gray Davis in 1998, has depicted himself as an experienced candidate with plenty of support from GOP lawmakers in Washington.

Ose, a local businesswoman with a background in real estate development, has presented herself as a fiscal conservative with the incumbent’s endorsement.

“Each has a separate message,” said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, a nonpartisan election guide.

Another Republican vying for the seat is Richard Frankhuizen. Democrat Gabe Castillo is also running.

Two well-known conservatives are at odds in Orange County, where former Rep. Robert K. Dornan is challenging Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) in the 46th Congressional District.

Dornan said he wants to help fight the war on terrorism and has cited Rohrabacher’s “lack of empathy toward Israel.” Rohrabacher released a statement explaining his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying Israel has to give up its settlements in Palestinian territory and Palestinians must give up their claim to a right to return to Israel.

GOP political consultant Dan Schnur suggested that Dornan faced a difficult road in trying to unseat Rohrabacher, whom Schnur described as a Republican with solid conservative credentials.

“It would be one thing if Dornan would be able to run against a more moderate Republican in such a conservative district,” Schnur said.

The Democratic contest for the district features Jim Brandt, an educator and software engineer; Tan D. Nguyen, a financial advisor; and Paul C. Wilkins, a rowing coach and businessman.