Orange County Republicans part of national GOP victory

Paul Clinton

Republicans overwhelmingly won their state and federal seats

Tuesday, blowing Democrats out of the water in Orange County and much

of the nation.

Reps. Chris Cox and Dana Rohrabacher cruised to solid victories

for two newly realigned districts. For each, it is the eighth

consecutive two-year term.

The area’s two assemblymen, John Campbell and Ken Maddox, also won

without much competition from Democratic challengers.

These victories, in one of the country’s conservative strongholds,

were part of a GOP sweep across the country, though one that largely

passed the rest of California by.

For the first time since the Eisenhower presidency, Republicans

control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“Given the Republican majority, it will be easier for all

Republicans to get things accomplished,” said Eileen Padberg, a

Newport Beach political consultant. “It’s watershed in that respect.”

Rohrabacher rode an easy wave to victory to represent Costa Mesa,

Huntington Beach and sections of the Los Angeles County coastline.

Rohrabacher, an avid surfer, said he began his day surfing at

Blackie’s on the Balboa Peninsula. He ended it riding 61.6% of the

vote and knocking off the latest Democratic challenger in his 14-year

congressional run.

“Last night, the election just topped off a day that started with

some really great waves,” Rohrabacher said Wednesday.

Democratic challenger Gerrie Schipske, a nurse, attorney and

college instructor from Long Beach, pinned down only 34.7% of the

vote.

Schipske won slightly more than the district’s 32.5% Democratic

registration. Democratic state lawmakers redrew the district in 2001

using fresh Census data.

Schipske, who attacked Rohrabacher as a right-wing extremist in

the campaign, did not return calls seeking comment.

Cox had an easier time, holding off Democrat John Graham with a

68.1% to 28.8% margin. Cox’s nearly 40-point triumph was the biggest

margin of victory of Newport-Mesa’s four federal and state races.

Graham, an international business professor at UC Irvine’s

graduate school of management, said he had prepared himself for

defeat, considering the Republican registration in the district.

Graham said he was setting his sights on 2004.

“This [result] is not different from my expectation,” Graham said.

“The lack of support from the Democratic Party was not surprising,

but it was very disappointing.”

In addition to its new City Council representative, Costa Mesa

also landed a new assemblyman in Tuesday’s election.

Ken Maddox won the 68th District race, holding off Democrat Al

Snook on a 64.8% to 30.4% margin. Maddox, who has represented Garden

Grove and other areas since 1998, had the city added to his district

after the 2000 Census.

Snook failed to gain even the full 34.5% registered Democratic

vote.

Assemblyman John Campbell also won in convincing fashion, beating

Democrat John Kane with a 66.4% to 30.7% margin in the race for the

70th District, which includes Newport Beach.