Thomson says he’s not out of running

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- For mayoral hopeful Tom Thomson, the votes for the

city’s top spot have yet to be counted.

“I would very much put myself in the running for mayor,” said the vice

mayor, reacting to news that the votes are shaping up in favor of

Councilman John Noyes. “I’ve done a good job and tried to stand in for

[Mayor] Dennis O’Neil.”

Since O’Neil and councilwomen Jan Debay and Norma Glover have already

announced they aren’t interested in the position -- and because it

traditionally falls to senior members of the council -- the race will

most likely be between Thomson and Noyes.

And although the necessary votes appear to be lining up behind Noyes,

Thomson is apparently putting up a fight to swing the vote in his favor.

With the election still three weeks away, he may have the time to do just

that. A number of council members said their positions on the issue could

still change.

“I don’t have a position yet,” O’Neil said. “I need to talk to those who

are interested in [becoming mayor].”

Noyes is keeping his thoughts on the matter under wraps and previously

said he hadn’t given it much consideration. He could not be reached for

further comment.

Thomson, on the other hand, said that in addition to successfully serving

the city as vice mayor, he believes he is a good candidate because he is

upfront and not political.

“I’m not a schemer and a back-room guy,” he said. “There’s no sense in

making battles, though a lot of people evidently think that is something

to do.”

The apparent support for Noyes is certainly a turnaround from last year,

when, despite backing from O’Neil, he was not elected as vice mayor.

Instead, Thomson received a unanimous vote for the position.

That action by the council was partly due to lingering frictions between

Noyes and various council members over incidents prior to the November

election.

In August 1998, Noyes called for Glover’s resignation following a

questionable letter she wrote to potential write-in candidate Jim de

Boom. In addition, Noyes and Debay butted heads over the departure of

former City Manager Kevin Murphy.

City Hall insiders at the time also said council members feared that,

because O’Neil and Noyes were aligned on many issues, the two would hold

too much power as mayor and vice mayor.